408D 


MINNA 


Minna 


MINNA 

WIFE  OF  THE 
YOUNG  RABBI 


By  Wilhelmina    Wittigschlager 


DRAWINGS   BY 

W.  HERBERT  DUNTON 


New  York 

Consolidated  Retail  Booksellers 
1905 


COPYRIGHTED,  1905,  BY 
CONSOLIDATED  RETAIL  BOOKSELLERS 


REGISTERED  AT   STATIONERS'  HALL,  LONDON 


(AH  Rights  Reserved) 

PUBLISHED,  NOVEMBER,   1905. 

[Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America]. 


CONTENTS 


BOOK  THE  FIRST  :  BONDAGE 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  THE  BETROTHAL 13 

II.  THE  YESHIVA  BOCHER 19 

III.  THE  BETROTHAL  OF  A  YESHIVA  BOCHER 30 

IV.  THE  YESHIVA  BOCHER'S  WEDDING 50 

V.  THE  WEDDING 73 

VI.  AT  HAMBURG 86 

VII.  FROM  PILLAR  TO  POST 99 

VIII.  THE  STAR  ACTRESS 130 

IX.  THE  LAND  OF  THE  FREE 152 

X.  THE  JEWISH  QUARTER 165 

BOOK  THE  SECOND  :  HOPE 

I.  DR.  MINNA 183 

II,  RED  FLAG  ELOQUENCE 193 

III.  COUNT  KARAPOT 204 

IV.  THE  FATHERLAND 215 

V.  MY  LITTLE  FIRE-BRAND 229 

VI.  THE  ROYAL  BALL 244 

VII.  THE  GREAT  RUSSIAN  CRIME 258 

BOOK  THE  THIRD  :  LIBERTY 

I.  THE  PENALTY 279 

II.  SIBERIA 294 

III.  THE  PARDON 312 

IV.  THE  RETURN  TO  AMERICA 323 

V.  MY  YESHIVA  BOCHER ...  333 

5 


2138980 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGS 

MINNA Frontispiece. 

"  You  leave  my  mamma  alone  or  I  fix  you.     My  mamma 
boss." 176 

"  At  that,  everything  grows  dark  before  me  ;  I  shiver 
and  grow  cold." 240 

41  Leave  me,  sir,  at  once  !  " 252 


"  The  sun  passcth  through  all  pollutions  t 
remaining  itself  as  pure  as  before. 

—LORD  BACON. 


BOOK  THE  FIRST. 

BONDAGE. 


MINNA:    WIFE  OF 
THE  YOUNG  RABBI. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE   BETROTHAL. 

I  SHALL  never  forget  the  day  when  the  man 
I  called  " father"  returned  home  with  a  keen 
look  of  satisfaction  on  his  face,  and  exclaimed  : 
"  Masiltof  (congratulations),  Minke  !  You  are 
a  kalo  (bride  *)  and  to  a  vailen  ingil  (ambitious, 
studious  young  man),  a  yeshiva  bocher  ;  "  t 

He  walked  excitedly  up  and  down  the  room, 
stroking  his  beard  and  snapping  his  fingers, 
singing  to  himself  a  favorite  "  bimmim  bam" 
which  the  Jews  sing  when  they  feel  very  good 
and  have  had  a  little  schnapps — 
11  Terra  bimmim  bam,  bimmim  bam,  bimmim 

*  Kalo — A  Jewish  girl  is  a  bride  from  the  time  of  the 
engagement  to  the  day  of  her  marriage,  after  which  she  is 
called  a.  yunge-frau  (young  woman)  though  sixty  years  old. 

t  Yeshiva  Bocher.  A  Jewish  divinity  student ;  literally,  a 
"  student  of  the  book  "  Talmud). 

13 


Minna. 

bam,  him  bam,  terra  bimmim  bam,  bimmim 
bam,  bim  bam  !  Ah,  yes  !  A  vailen  ingil. 
Ah  !  An  ingil— -a  tzaska  (toy)." 

I  stood  dazed.  His  behavior  and  the  news 
he  brought  made  me  feel  faint.  I  must  have 
turned  pale,  for  my  father  exclaimed  : 

"  Look  at  her,  how  pale  she  has  got  !  Just 
as  if  I  had  told  her  she  was  going  to  be  killed  ! 
Na !  What  do  you  think  of  that  ?  "  Then  turn- 
ing to  me,  "  Do  you  think  I  am  going  to 
keep  you  until  you  are  old  and  gray  ?  Old 
enough  to  choose  for  yourself  ?  Perhaps  you 
would  like  to  choose  your  own  choson*  eh  ? 
Or  run  away  to  the  missionaries,  eh  ?  What 
do  you  think  of  her,  eh  ?  "  and  he  cast  a  half- 
concealed  side-glance  at  his  wife,  who  winked 
in  return. 

"  We  have  reasons  for  wishing  you  to  marry 
young,"  she  said,  "  but  not  as  it  happened  to 
a  rich  Jew  some  years  ago." 

She  again  winked  slyly  at  my  father. 

"  His  daughter  disgraced  him  when  she  was 
but  eighteen.  They  had  to  take  her  away  to 

*  Choson.     A  young  Jew  is  called  the  \choson  from  the  time 
of  his  engagement  until  he  is  married. 

14 


The  Betrothal. 

another  country.  No,  thanks,  I  don't  want  to 
travel  on  such  terms.  We  have  never  found 
out  who  the  Jew  and  his  daughter  were,  but 
we  are  watching  the  mamser  (illegitimate  child) 
very  closely  and  will  see  that  she  does  not 
disgrace  the  people  she  is  with.  We  have  no 
money  to  secrete  our  daughter's  shame,  nor 
do  we  propose  ever  to  experience  such  zorus, 
(trouble). 

"  Married  at  thirteen  !  she  exclaimed.  "  Yes  ! 
When  you  are  thirteen,  you  will  be  under  the 
heibel,"  *  and  will  be  a  veibel  (young  mar- 
ried woman)." 

I  could  not  hear  all  they  said.  Everything 
swam  before  my  eyes.  I  first  felt  hot,  burning 
all  over  ;  perspiration  covered  my  forehead 
— and  then  again  I  was  shivering  cold.  All 
that  that  woman — that  woman  who  called  her- 
self my  mother — had  said,  pierced  me  through 
and  through.  I  was  only  a  child  and  could 
not  comprehend  it  all,  but  I  knew  that  some- 
thing was  wrong.  I  tried  to  speak,  but  only 
stammered,  and  neither  my  parents  nor  myself 

*  Heibel.     Calico  cap  (generally  black)  that  a  married  Jewess 
has  to  wear  under  her  wig. 


Minna. 

understood  what  I  was  trying  to  say.  With  a 
twist  of  her  head  toward  my  father,  my  mother 
again  continued : 

"  What  do  you  think  of  her  ?  Did  I  not  tell 
you  it  was  not  too  soon  to  bring  her  under  the 
heibel  ?  Look  at  her  !  Look !  she  knows 
enough  already  to  feel  frightened  !  The  mar- 
schess  !  (loose  character).  Twelve  and  a  half  ? 
Why,  when  my  mother  told  me  I  was  going 
to  be  married,  I  was  tickled  to  death  !  And 
do  you  think  I  knew  about  anything  as  she 
does  already  ?  Why,  all  I  thought  of  was  the 
nice  black  silk  dress  I  was  to  wear,  and  the 
music.  God  be  thanked  !  We  are  not  any 
too  soon.  If  we  wait  till  that  girl  is  two  years 
older,  she  will  never  be  married  as  a  Jewish 
daughter  should  be — respectably. 

"  We  shall  take  care — we  shall  take  care," 
she  went  on  shaking  her  forefinger  at  me, 
"  that  you  are  a  veibel  before  six  months  are 
past.  And  if  you  like  to  know  who  your  future 
husband  is — Reb  Schmia's  Shabbas  !  "  * 

*  Shabbas  Sabbath— Saturday.  By  saying  "Reb  (Mr.) 
Schmia' s  Shabbas  "  it  is  understood  that  he  is  iheyeshiva  backer, 
or  charity  student,  whom  Schmia  feeds  every  Saturday. 

16 


The  Betrothal. 

Just  then  the  horn  blew.  It  was  time  for 
me  to  drive  the  cow  to  the  market-place  in  the 
center  of  the  town,  where  the  cowherd  used  to 
wait  every  day  until  the  maids  brought  their 
cows  to  be  driven  to  pasture  ;  but  though  I 
heard  the  horn,  I  would  not  move.  "  Well," 
my  mother  exclaimed  sharply,  "  did  you  not 
hear  the  horn  blow  ?  Are  you  lame  ?" 

With  her  usual  shower  of  curses  and  blows 
across  my  shoulders,  I  awoke  from  my  dazed 
condition.  I  went  to  the  barn  and  drove  out 
the  cow  ;  but  upon  reaching  the  market-place 
the  other  cows  had  gone.  I  could  see  them 
far  up  the  road  that  led  to  the  pasture  and 
followed,  driving  our  cow  slowly.  I  did  not 
know  what  I  was  doing  till  I  reached  the  pas- 
ture. Then,  throwing  myself  on  the  grass,  I 
broke  out  sobbing  and  crying,  "  Oh,  my  God ! 
What  am  I  living  for  ?  Is  it  possible  that  this 
woman  is  my  mother  ?" 

I  could  not  remember  ever  having  received 
a  word  of  praise  as  other  children  had  when 
their  little  duties  were  fulfilled  ;  nor  had  I 
ever  known  the  sound  of  a  kind  word.  Always 

scolded  and  beaten,  I  was  the  first  to  rise  and 

2  17 


Minna. 

the  last  to  bed  ;  when  scarcely  able  to  walk,  I 
already  had  household  duties  assigned  me.  I 
had  never  owned  a  pair  of  new  shoes  ;  the  old 
ones  that  my  mother  could  no  longer  wear 
were  good  enough  for  me.  Her  old  dresses 
tucked  in  under  the  waistband  were  the  only 
clothes  I  had  ever  known. 

"  Oh,  my  God  !  "  I  sobbed.  "  Now  I  am  to 
be  married  to  one  of  those  filthy  scarecrows. 
I  want  to  die  !  I  want  to  die  !  "  and  exhausted 
from  crying,  I  fell  asleep.  How  long  I  slept 
there  I  did  not  know ;  but  when  I  awoke  and 
started  for  home,  I  realized  that  I  would  have 
to  submit  to  my  fate,  but  was  determined  that 
if  I  was  forced  to  become  the  wife  of  that  yesh- 
iva  backer,  I  would  never  live  with  him.  No, 
I  would  go  to  Siberia  rather  than  link  my  life 
with  such  a  man ! 


18 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  YESHIVA    BOCHER. 

As  the  day  of  the  wedding  drew  nearer,  my 
horror  at  the  thought  of  being  married  to  a 
yeshiva  bocher  increased.  Reared  amongst  the 
poor  Jews  as  I  was,  I  had  ample  opportunity 
to  see  and  know  all  the  revolting  details  of 
the  lives  and  habits  of  these  Russian  divinity 
students,  the  squalid  and  filthy  class  to  which 
my  intended  husband  belonged. 

In  the  small  towns  of  Russia,  the  poor  Jewish 
boy  with  ambitions  above  the  life  of  a  drudg- 
ing mechanic  finds  no  opportunity  to  acquire 
the  education  that  will  fit  him  for  a  mercantile 
career  or  a  profession.  Still  his  brain  burns 
with  a  desire  to  learn — he  cares  not  what,  but 
something  to  raise  him  above  the  condition  of 
servitude  into  which  he  has  been  born.  With- 
out money  or  a  change  of  clothing,  or  even  a 
home,  perhaps,  he  sets  out  to  get  an  education 
in  the  only  way  left  open  to  him.  He  becomes 


Minna. 

a  yeshiva  backer,  or  what  in  English  might  be 
called  a  divinity  student,  were  this  term  not  too 
dignified  to  characterize  a  novitiate  in  a  school 
that  as  often  prepares  for  a  career  of  idleness 
and  knavery  as  for  a  life  of  industry  and  holi- 
ness. However,  the  sort  of  education  he  ac- 
quires largely  depends  upon  the  boy's  character 
at  the  time  of  his  taking  up  the  calling.  He 
may  be  only  twelve  years  of  age,  and  yet  have 
his  moral  tendencies  already  fixed  for  life,  so 
precocious  are  the  Jewish  lads.  What  he  will 
be  when  he  emerges  from  the  school  also  de- 
pends much  upon  the  purpose  with  which  he 
entered  it. 

The  yeshiva  bocher  studies  at  the  beisha- 
medres,  an  annex  of  the  synagogue,  found  in 
every  Russian  Jewish  town  or  settlement. 
While  the  synagogue  is  open  only  on  the  Sab- 
bath and  on  holidays  during  the  principal 
prayers,  the  beishamedres  is  always  open  for  the 
daily  prayers  which  the  orthodox  Jew  is  bound 
to  attend.  In  the  forenoon  there  is  davnen 
(morning  prayer),  in  the  early  afternoon  min- 
cho,  and  in  the  evening  mirov  (vespers). 

The  beishamedres  is  usually  one  large  room 


20 


The  Yeshiva  Bocher. 

with  a  light  board  partition  to  separate  the 
men  and  the  women  during  prayers.  In  the 
room  where  the  men  congregate  is  a  small 
altar  near  the  middle  of  the  wall,  and  a  plat- 
form called  "  bimmcfr"  in  the  centre  for  read- 
ings and  prayers.  Under  the  windows  stand 
long  wide  tables  with  benches  on  either  side. 
Between  the  two  divisions  of  the  room  is  a 
great  low  brick  oven,  which  serves  to  heat  both 
apartments  ;  and  during  the  cold  Russian  win- 
ter as  many  yeshiva  bocherim  as  can  possibly 
crawl  on  it  will  lie  there  for  the  warmth. 
Along  the  wall  are  shelves  and  closets,  filled 
with  religious  books  of  great  variety  even  in  the 
beishamedres  of  the  smallest  towns.  Three  or 
four  rooms  attached  to  this  building  serve  as  a 
city  residence  for  the  rabbi. 

The  young  men  who  are  ambitious  and 
anxious  for  a  religious  education  never  begin 
their  studies  in  their  home  town,  where  they 
are  probably  too  well  known  ever  to  gain  that 
honor  which  is  proverbially  the  prophet's  due. 
Leaving  his  poor  parents,  or  perhaps  his 
widowed  mother,  the  aspirant  for  rabbinical 
honors  starts  out  on  foot,  to  make  his  way  to 


21 


Minna. 

some  other  town  where  entire  disassociation 
with  his  past  life  will  form  his  strongest  rec- 
ommendation to  the  good  will  and  respect  of 
the  people. 

When  such  a  one  arrives  in  a  strange  town 
he  knows  he  can  always  make  the  beisha- 
medres  his  headquarters.  Here  he  may  come 
at  any  time  and  sleep  in  the  women's  part  on 
the  floor,  without  being  disturbed  or  ques- 
tioned. So  he  goes  to  the  shammes  (caretaker) 
and  says  to  him  :  "I  came  here  to  study,  to 
be  a  yeshiva  bocher,  and  I  want  you  to  be  kind 
enough  to  find  me  a  few  days  if  possible." 
By  "days"  he  means  accommodations  of  the 
following  nature  : 

Every  member  of  the  Jewish  community 
knows  that  these  young  men  must  be  fed,  and 
that  they  are  wretchedly  poor  :  consequently 
they  must  be  provided  for.  The  caretaker 
goes  to  one  of  the  Jewish  citizens  and  says  : 
"Reb  Yankel,  a  new  young  man  has  come  in  ; 
can  you  give  him  Monday  or  Tuesday,  as  most 
convenient  to  you  ? "  Reb  Yankel  generally  re- 
plies, "  I  will."  Then  off  the  caretaker  goes  to 
another  citizen  and  says  ;  "  Reb  Leib,  there  is  a 


22 


The  Yeshiva  Bocher. 

young  man  come  into  town  to-day.  Will  you 
give  him  one  day  in  the  week  ?" 

Thus  he  goes  the  rounds  until  he  has  filled 
in  the  seven  days  of  the  week  for  the  student. 
The  young  man  is  t^en  advised  which  days 
he  is  to  go  to  the  different  citizens.  He  knows 
that  every  Monday  he  is  to  eat  with  Reb  Yankel; 
on  Tuesday  with  Reb  Leib  ;  on  Wednesday 
with  Reb  Maise ;  on  Thursday  with  Reb 
Salnten,  and  so  on. 

Fortunate  is  that  young  man  who,  on  his 
arrival  in  town,  is  the  possessor  of  a  ruble  or  two 
with  which  to  bribe  the  caretaker.  This  im- 
portant personage  knows  which  of  the  citizens 
will  feed  the  newcomer  willingly  and  gener- 
ously, putting  on  the  table  enough  bread  and 
butter,  and  occasionally  a  piece  of  meat.  He 
is  also  well  aware  which  citizen  gives  a  "day  " 
out  of  vanity  rather  than  charity,  and  which 
one  sets  rubbish  on  the  table  that  even  the 
servants,  who  in  Russia  are  accustomed  only 
to  the  poorest  food,  could  not  eat  it.  Such 
men,  if  they  provide  bread,  put  no  knife  with 
it,  so  that  the  yeshiva  backer  may  not  take  too 

large  a  portion.     But,  whether  his    host    is 

23 


Minna. 

generous  or  stingy,  the  poor  student  does  not 
dare  to  complain.  So  if  the  shammes  receives 
a  small  remuneration,  the  young  man  gets 
something  to  eat ;  whereas  if  the  shammes  is 
not  "  tipped,"  the  student  gets  his  "  days  " 
but  no  food. 

Many  of  the  students  are  compelled  to  eat 
in  as  many  as  fifteen  houses  during  the  seven 
days,  for  often  the  citizens  will  take  a  student 
for  part  of  a  day  only.  One  gives  him  break- 
fast, another  lunch,  and  a  third  will  offer  sup- 
per alone.  So  he  fills  in  his  days  ;  but  not 
one  has  ever  been  known  to  say  that  he  was 
able  to  fill  his  stomach. 

Clothes,  too,  are  furnished  by  the  citizens. 
The  man  who  has  ayeshiva  backer  ai  his  table, 
occasionally  supplies  an  old  coat  or  trousers, 
when  the  raggedness  of  his  guest  has  shamed 
him  into  generosity.  Very  often  a  slim  young 
fellow  of  fifteen — they  are  always  slim  for 
obvious  reasons — may  be  seen  wearing  a  coat 
and  trousers  that  had  been  worn  by  a  six-footer, 
who  probably  weighed  two  hundred  and 
eighty  pounds.  As  for  shoes,  the  yeshiva 

bocher  is  obliged  to  wear  them  until  his  pro- 

24 


The  Yeshiva  Bocher. 

trading  toes  shame  some  citizen  into  hunting 
him  up  a  cast-off  pair. 

Since  the  Hebrew  religion,  as  it  is  under- 
stood and  practised  among  the  old-fashioned, 
orthodox  Jews,  absolutely  forbids  any  man  to 
shave  his  beard  or  mustache,  and,  as  the 
student  has  no  money  to  get  his  hair  cut, — nor 
would  it  be  proper  for  him  to  do  so  except 
perhaps  twice  a  year — before  the  two  great 
holidays,  "  Peshach  "  (Passover)  and  New 
Year,  or  "  Roshhashona  Yom  Kippur  "  (the  Day 
of  Atonement), — a  more  forlorn  appearance 
than  the  yeshiva  bocher  presents  is  incon- 
ceivable. He  is  the  very  disembodiment  of 
wretchedness.  Furthermore,  these  students 
seldom  possess  underwear ;  or  if  they  do 
happen  to  have  any,  they  wear  it  until  it  falls 
off  their  backs.  During  the  winter  they  are 
frequently  unable  to  go  out  for  their  meals,  on 
account  of  insufficient  clothing. 

Owing  to  these  filthy  and  neglected  condi- 
tions, every  yeshiva  bocher  is  afflicted  with 
some  kind  of  rash  or  skin  disease.  Their 
heads  especially  become  full  of  sores  and 

vermin.     Whether  or  not  it  is  due  to  the  con- 

25 


Minna. 

stant  scratching  of  their  polls,  it  must  be  con- 
fessed that  there  are  many  bright  wits  among 
these  students,  and  even  in  these  wretched 
conditions  they  occasionally  find  some  ingeni- 
ous means  for  recreation.  For  instance,  they 
have  little  private  hunting  parties  late  at  night, 
at  which  they  supply  both  the  instruments  of 
of  sport  and  the  quarry.  After  the  beisha- 
medres  is  closed  the  students  go  into  the  wom- 
en's department,  and  with  the  assistance  of  a 
candle  start  the  chase.  They  take  off  their 
clothes  and  hunt  through  them  for  game.  The 
one  who  has  the  largest  herd  is  elected  master 
of  the  hunt,  a  position  which  he  holds  until  he 
is  superseded  by  a  more  populous  huntsman. 
A  prominent  citizen,  who  had  been  a  student, 
once  said  that  no  self-respecting  yeshiva  backer 
would  consider  himself  worthy  of  the  name 
unless  he  pastured  a  goodly  herd. 

How  do  the  yeshiva  bocherim  get  their 
pocket  money  ?  Some  of  them  are  fortunate 
enough  to  receive  occasionally  a  few  kopecks 
from  a  mother  or  some  other  relative,  but 
most  of  them  must  earn  what  they  get.  They 

do  so  in  the  following  manner  : 

26 


The  Yeshiva  Bocher. 

When  a  Jew  or  any  member  of  his  family  is 
taken  ill,  and  the  doctor  says  there  is  no  hope 
for  his  recovery,  some  of  the  relatives  run 
through  the  streets  to  the  beishamedres  scream- 
ing like  mad.  Then,  when  they  hear  the 
wild  cries  approaching,  a  broad  smile  of 
anticipation  overspreads  the  faces  of  the  yesh- 
iva  bocherim.  Without  a  word  they  move 
toward  the  altar,  each  carrying  a  small  prayer- 
book  in  his  hand.  One  of  them  asks  the 
suppliant  relative,  "  What  is  the  name  of 
the  sick  person,  and  what  ove  (saint)  do  you 
wish  us  to  invoke  ?"  After  a  prayer  has  been 
offered,  the  grateful  relative  distributes  a  few 
kopecks  among  the  yeshiva  bocherim.  Some- 
times they  get  three,  five,  even  as  many  as  ten 
kopecks  apiece  (a  kopeck  is  a  half  cent)  ;  and 
you  may  be  assured,  that  in  their  hearts  they 
continue  to  pray  for  some  time  that  another 
citizen  may  become  sick,  so  that  a  few  more 
kopecks  may  be  added  to  their  meager  earn- 
ings. 

In  regard  to  their  religious  education,  the 
new  students  appeal  to  such  of  their  fellows 

as  are  farther  along  in  their  studies  and  are 

27 


Minna. 

willing  to  lend  a  helping  hand  to  the  beginner. 
Those  students  who  are  most  advanced  in  their 
education,  when  overtaken  by  some  especial 
difficulty,  go  to  the  rabbi,  who  holds  it  his  duty 
to  assist  them.  Those  citizens  of  the  town 
who  have  been  students  and  have  now  nothing 
else  to  do  but  lie  around  in  the  beishamedres 
among  their  books,  are  often  of  great  assistance 
to  the  know  ledge-seeking  j'£s///x>a  bocher,  among 
whom  are  some  who  have  a  desire  to  learn 
more  than  religion.  Perhaps,  as  youngsters, 
they  have  played  with  rich  children  who 
taught  them  the  alphabet.  They  manage  to 
procure  a  few  German  or  Russian  books  and 
study  secretly  ;  but  woe  betide  them  if  a  fanat- 
ical religionist  should  chance  to  hear  of  this 
devotion  to  profane  learning ;  for  the  ambitious 
student  would  be  driven  out  of  the  town  in 
disgrace. 

There  are  some  again  who  are  a  lazy,  worth- 
less set  :  they  do  not  care  to  learn  a  trade,  as 
they  have  no  desire  to  work.  They  prefer  to 
lead  an  idle  life.  They  never  study,  but  lie 
about  the  beishamedres  willing  to  be  dirty, 

filthy  and  hungry,  so  long  as  they  do  not  have 

28 


The  Yeshiva  Bocher. 

to  work.  They  are  sharp,  for  when  they  see  a 
citizen  enter  the  beishamedres,  they  open  a 
prayer-book,  droop  their  heads,  wrinkle  their 
foreheads,  and  look  like  the  hardest-working 
students  present. 

The  yeshiva  backer  often  marries  into  a  good 
family  that,  possessing  a  little  money,  seeks 
honor  in  the  matrimonial  alliances  of  the 
daughters.  Such  parents  choose  a  poor  di- 
vinity student,  buy  him  a  suit  of  clothes,  very 
often  a  watch  and  chain,  and  give  him  their 
daughter  in  marriage.  After  the  wedding  the 
father  starts  the  newly  wed  couple  in  business, 
so  that  the  yeshiva  backer  may  continue  his 
studies  as  a  citizen,  while  his  wife  attends  to 
business  and  supports  him.  Many  students, 
knowing  no  other  kind  of  career  than  the  one 
they  have  chosen,  allow  themselves  to  be  led 
by  these  temptations.  Of  these,  the  ambitious 
students  finally  become  rabbis  and  procure 
good  positions  ;  while  the  others  continue 
their  idle  life,  in  addition  to  making  the  un- 
fortunate women  whom  they  have  married 
hopelessly  wretched  and  unhappy. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  BETROTHAL  OF  A  YESHIVA  BOCHER. 

THE  Jew  expresses  himself  every  day  at  his 
morning  prayers  :  "  I  thank  Thee,  O  Heavenly 
Father,  that  Thou  hast  not  created  me  a 
woman."  That  ought  to  answer  all  questions 
as  to  how  a  woman  stands  in  general  in  Jewry. 
Her  lot  is  especially  hard  in  Russia,  among  the 
poorer  class,  who  consider  it  a  grievous  afflic- 
tion to  have  a  daughter.  Therefore,  a  girl's 
education  is  neglected.  She  is  never  sent  to 
school  ;  and  throughout  childhood,  she  is  kept 
a  slave  to  her  parents.  After  marriage,  and 
until  death,  she  is  to  be  a  slave  to  her  husband  ; 
so  what  need  has  she  for  an  education  ?  If  a 
girl  is  unfortunate  enough  to  be  homely,  her 
fate  is  sealed ;  she  must  depend  upon  her 
father  until  she  is  old  and  gray.  No  money, 
and  a  homely  daughter  !  Mercy  !  Even  with 
a  good-looking  girl,  plenty  of  money  is  required 

to  get  her  married.     Think  of  a  poor  man  who 

3° 


The  Betrothal  of  a  Yeshiva  Bocher. 

has  three,  four,  or  five  homely  daughters  !  In 
such  families  the  girls  are  generally  married  off 
to  yeshiva  bocherim. 

If  the  father  has  no  money  he  has  at  least  a 
little  cabin  of  his  own  in  the  city  and  can  be 
considereda  baalh'bos (respected  citizen).  So 
the  schatchen  (matrimonial  agent)  explains  to 
the  young  man,  without  giving  him  an  oppor- 
tunity to  look  at  the  wealth,  that  there  is  a 
baalh'bos  in  town  who  has  a  daughter :  "  One 
of  the  finest,  greatest  housekeepers  ;  who  has 
knitted  about  fifty  pairs  of  stockings  for  her- 
self "  (she  really  has  only  three  pairs).  "  Who 
has  feather-beds  piled  to  the  ceiling"  (these 
are  three  old  pillows  inherited  from  her  grand- 
mother upon  which  two  generations  of  babies 
have  been  raised).  "  And  linen  !  Ah,  so  much 
of  it  that  you  cannot  shut  the  hasten  (chest). 
And  fancy  work  too  !  I  have  never  seen  the 
like  ! " 

This  schatchen  usually  wears  a  long  beard 
and  is  highly  respected.  For  five  rubles  he 
will  smuggle  any  maid  off  or  any  man  in. 

"Yes,"  he  will  go  on,  "she  writes  and  reads 

Hebrew  like  water  "  (a  convincing  expression 

31 


Minna. 

in  sound,  but  in  reality  quite  non-committal). 
"  Do  you  think  she  has  to  go  to  a  neighbor  to 
write  an  address  in  German  or  Russian  ?  Oh, 
no,  she  can  do  it  all  by  herself."  The  old 
scamp  is  telling  many  lies,  but  he  does  not 
blush ;  he  is  accustomed  to  prevarication  in 
the  good  cause  of  race  propagation.  As  a 
matter  of  course,  it  is  essential  to  his  business. 
Is  the  girl  to  be  married  off  absolutely  shape- 
less ?  With  a  broad  grin  he  digs  the  student 
in  the  ribs  and  whispers  cunningly  :  "  Ah  ! 
she  is  a  fat  one."  Is  the  yeshiva  backer  still 
lacking  in  enthusiasm,  the  schatchen  will  add  : 
"  And  smart !  She  will  make  a  splendid  busi- 
ness woman.  You  won't  have  to  work  when 
you  get  married.  They  will  give  you  a  thou- 
sand rubles  and  she  will  run  the  business.  Do 
you  know  who  her  grandfather  was  ?  Why, 
one  of  the  greatest  !  What  was  his  name  ? 
Ah  !  I  have  forgotten.  I  will  tell  you  some 
other  time.  Her  father  is  one  of  the  most  re- 
spected citizens  in  town  "  (he  might  say  this  of 
a  horse  thief). 

So   the   schatchen   goes   from  one  yeshiva 

backer  to  another   as  if  he  were  a  personal 

32 


The  Betrothal  of  a  Yeshiva  Bocher. 

friend,  trying  to  give  each  a  chance  ;  until  he 
comes  across  a  lazy  fellow  who  doesn't  care 
whom  he  marries,  or  what  his  wife  looks  like. 
This  one,  when  he  hears  of  the  thousand  rubles 
says  to  himself,  "  I  will  marry  the  girl,  and 
afterwards,  if  I  find  she  doesn't  suit  me,  I  will 
go  to  America."  A  thousand  rubles  !  Just 
think  what  that  means  to  a  yeshiva  bocher. 

As  soon  as  the  young  man  consents  to  the 
proposal,  the  schatchen  turns  round  and  says, 
"  And  what  will  I  get  forgiving  you  such  a  rich 
kalo  (bride)  ?  "  The  young  man  promises  him 
something,  and  the  schatchen  says,  "  Well, 
I'm  willing  to  see  her  parents  about  it."  The 
appointment  is  then  made  in  the  parlor  of 
some  wealthy  citizen's  house,  as  every  Jew  who 
is  in  comfortable  circumstances  considers  it  a 
Hebrew  charity  to  help  a  poorer  man  smug- 
gle off  his  daughter,  and  never  refuses  when 
he  is  asked  :  "  Can  the  meeting  be  in  your 
parlor  ? " 

The  yeshiva  bocher  is  brought  into  quite  a 
comfortable  room   in   a   good-looking  house. 
The  father  of  the  girl  is  there  wearing  his  Sab- 
bath   capote  (coat)    and  looking  prosperous 
3  33 


Minna. 

With  snuff-box  in  hand,  and  one  foot  over  the 
other,  he  sits  carelessly  on  the  sofa.  When  the 
young  man  enters  he  is  at  once  impressed  that 
here  is  the  owner  of  the  house.  He  looks 
around — everything  appears  comfortable,  and 
the  bos  on  the  sofa  seems  to  be  at  home.  The 
yeshiva  backer  is  welcomed  somewhat  coldly. 
He  is  asked  :  "  Have  you  served  as  a  soldier  ?" 
He  usually  answers,  "  I  have  a  green  billet." 
That  may  signify  that  he  drew  a  lucky  number, 
or  was  found  unfit  for  service.  This  answer  is 
satisfactory,  but  the  next  blow  is  a  hard  one. 
"  Have  your  people  any  money  to  give  you  ? " 
That  is  a  question  the  father  never  fails  to  ask, 
to  scare  the  young  man  into  such  a  condition 
that  he  will  not  have  the  courage  to  ask  any- 
thing for  himself.  The  yeshiva  bocher,  morti- 
fied and  embarrassed,  will  answer,  "  No,  my 
people  are  very  poor." 

"  Why,  my  dear  young  man,"  the  father  con- 
tinues, "  do  you  not  realize  that  you  do  not 
own  even  a  decent  coat,  nor  boots,  nor  a  pair 
of  haisen  (trousers)  ?  Indeed,  you  are  almost 
barefoot,  and  in  fact,  naked.  You  cannot  get 

married  like  that,  and  how  will  you  procure 

34 


The  Betrothal  of  a  Yeshiva  Bocher. 

a  kalo  matones  (bridal  present)  for  your 
bride  ? " 

Of  course  the  young  man  sits  there  stupefied 
and  bullied  out  of  his  senses.  Then  he  tries  to 
protest :  "Why  I  had  no  intention  of  getting 
married  !  I  did  not  look  for  a  wife  ;  I  know  I 
have  nothing  !  That's  why  I  am  a  yeshiva 
bocher.  The  schatchen  told  me  you  wanted 
me  for  a  son-in-law,  and  I  finally  consented  to 
see  you." 

"Well,"  the  father  will  reply,  "  I  didn't  know 
you  were  that  poor."  (What  a  bluff !)  "  For  a 
thousand  rubles,  you  see,  I  can  get  a  business 
man  for  my  daughter.  Such  a  girl  as  I  have  ! 
She  alone  is  a  fortune.  My  family  are  all  such 
fine  people  they  will  have  nothing  less  than  a 
ftnem  ingil  (a  learned  young  man).  And  then 
my  wife  comes  from  rebonem  (a  family  of  rab- 
bis), and  she  would  not  dream  of  permitting 
her  daughter  to  marry  any  one  who  had  no 
hopes  of  one  day  becoming  a  rabbi.  But  still, 
if  the  young  man  is  learned,  although  not  a 
rabbi,  I  will  speak  to  her  ;  I  feel  confident  that 
she  will  be  satisfied.  A  woman  !  Bah  !  I'll 

fix  that   all   right.     Young  man,"  the    father 

35 


Minna. 

will  continue,  stroking  his  beard  with  one  hand 
and  muttering  "  Hm,  hm."  "  If  that  is  the 
meisa  (story),  I'll  tell  you  what  I  will  do  with 
you  ; — we  will  make  a  tnoim  (engagement)  right 
now — and  I  will  fix  you  up.  I  will  buy  you 
two  suits  of  clothes,  a  hat,  three  suits  of  under- 
wear, two  pairs  of  shoes,"  (the  yeshiva  bocher 
gets  only  one,  by  the  way)  "and  I  will  give  you 
a  thousand  rubles,  a  gold  watch  and  chain,  and 
the  wedding  shall  be  in  three  months."  The 
father  is  rather  in  a  hurry.  His  wife,  he  says, 
is  in  poor  health  and  has  to  take  the  baths  this 
season  ;  so  she  would  like  to  see  the  wedding 
before  she  goes  away.  (You  ought  to  see  the 
woman  who  is  going  to  the  baths  "  for  her 
health!") 

Finally  the  schatchen  pulls  a  red  hand- 
kerchief from  his  pocket  and  hands  one  end 
to  the  father,  who  touches  it  and  says,  "  I 
give  my  blessing."  Then  the  same  end  is 
given  to  the  young  man  who  also  touches  it. 
This  little  ceremony  signifies  that  both  parties 
have  consented  to  the  engagement.  Then  the 
schatchen  rises  quickly,  the  mistress  of  the 

house  brings  forth  a  bottle  of  schnapps  and 

36 


The  Betrothal  of  a  Yeshiva  Bocher. 

congratulates  them  so  graciously  and  delight- 
fully, that  no  doubt  is  left  in  the  mind  of  the 
yeshiva  backer  that  she  is  the  future  mother- 
in-law.  She  wears  a  doubled  gold  chain  around 
her  neck,  as  thick  as  a  man's  thumb,  and  at 
least  a  yard  long.  A  pair  of  gold  earrings 
hang  down  nearly  to  her  shoulders,  and  she 
has  on  a  gold  brooch,  as  large  almost  as  a  small 
hand. 

Who  could  resist  the  temptation  of  having 
such  a  mother-in-law,  so  decorated  and  all  in 
gold  !  The  young  man  goes  away  all  smiles. 
He  does  not  say  a  word  to  the  other  yeshiva 
bocherim.  He  is  afraid  they  might  say  some- 
thing against  him,  for  his  conscience  feels 
guilty  of  little  odds  and  ends  in  his  past  life. 
He  is  afraid  that  some  jealous  comrade  will 
get  ahead  of  him  and  tread  his  golden  path. 
So  he  keeps  his  prospects  quite  a  secret  and 
goes  around  with  a  broad  smile  on  his  face, 
now  and  again  laughing  aloud.  "  Ah !  "  he 
says,  "  I  am  no  more  a  yeshiva  bocher.  I  am 
going  to  be  a  baalh'bos  of  this  town.  What  a 
fine  house  they  have,  and  what  fine  furniture  !  " 

He  has  never  seen  the  girl,  for  he  did  not  dare 

37 


Minna. 

ask  such  a  privilege.  He  is  engaged  to  be 
married  in  three  months,  and  that  is  suffici- 
ent. 

The  schatchen  sees  him  occasionally  and 
whispers  to  him,  "  She  is  working  a  fine  little 
tephilim  sakel  for  you."  (This  a  little  velvet 
bag  with  his  name  worked  in  pearls,  in  which 
to  carry  his  phylacteries  and  prayer-book). 
The  yeshiva  bocher  laughs  in  gleeful  anticipa- 
tion, as  he  imagines  himself  walking  to  the 
beishamedres  in  the  morning,  dressed  in  his 
new  suit,  wearing  his  gold  watch  and  chain  and 
carrying  the  beautiful  tephilim  sakel,  as  he  has 
seen  other  wealthy  citizens  do.  He  sees  all 
the  other  yeshiva  bocherim  looking  at  him, 
jealous  of  his  good  forfune  ;  he  will  not  deign 
to  speak  to  any  of  them,  but  he  will  be  proud 
and  dignified,  to  pay  them  for  the  way  they 
have  treated  him. 

When  the  wedding  day  draws  nigh,  the 
schatchen  reappears  and  says  to  the  yeshiva 
bocher,  "  Do  you  know,  I  fear  that  some  one 
has  said  something  about  you,  for  I  have  seen 
your  father-in-law  to-day  and  he  seemed  to  be 

somewhat  doubtful  about  you.     Somebody  has 

38  " 


The  Betrothal  of  a  Yeshiva  Bocher. 

told  him  that  you  are  not  as  learned  as  he 
thought  you  were  ;  and  they  say  that  your 
father  '  deals  in  horses.'  Of  course  you  know 
what  that  means."  (In  that  part  of  Russia  it 
is  very  certain  that  a  Jew  who  "deals  in  horses  " 
is  the  receiver  of  stolen  property ;  for  a  small 
horse-trader  must  deal  with  the  gypsies  who 
are  notorious  for  stealing  horses  This  is 
about  the  worst  thing  one  could  say  to  the 
young  man  to  scare  him.)  The  schatchen 
takes  advantage  of  the  yeshiva  backer's  fright, 
and  delves  deeper  into  other  family  details, 
until  the  young  man  feels  that  he  has  no  busi- 
ness to  aspire  to  decent  society.  And  of 
course  the  schatchen,  who  is  an  expert  in  this 
sort  of  business,  mercilessly  flays  the  young 
man.  After  he  has  completely  cowed  him,  he 
will  say,  "  I'll  tell  you  what  I  will  do.  I  will  go 
and  see  the  machuteneste  (the  mother).  She  is  a 
woman  who  has  a  great  deal  to  say  about  the 
house,  as  she  comes  of  a  very  fine  family."  And 
then  he  departs,  with  a  hopeless  shake  of  his 
head. 

The  poor  yeshiva  backer  is  left  in  a  fever  of 

anxiety.   All  his  beautiful  castles  are  apparently 

39 


Minna. 

to  be  shattered,  and  seem  about  to  collapse. 
He  sees  the  schatchen  walking  off  with  long, 
sharp,  business-like  steps,  and  he  heaves  a  deep 
sigh.  Anxiously  he  awaits  the  return  of  the 
marriage  broker  in  the  evening.  The  schatchen 
comes,  with  a  smile,  and,  greeting  the  un- 
happy  yeshiva  backer,  exclaims,  as  he  warmly 
grasps  the  young  man's  hand  :  "  Masiltof  \ 
(congratulations).  It  is  all  right  now.  But, 
remember,  not  a  word  to  any  one,  as  somebody 
might  come  again  and  spoil  it,  and  I  will  not 
bother  with  it  again.  I  have  worked  hard  ; 
you  are  not  paying  me  anything  now,  and  of 
course  they  are  not  paying  anything.  It  is  for 
you  that  I  am  working.  I  saw  you,  and  I  liked 
you  ;  so  I  said  to  myself,  '  here  is  a  very  fine 
and  capable  young  man, — I  am  going  to  do 
something  for  him,'  so  please  do  not  cause  me 
any  extra  trouble." 

At  this  the  yeshiva  backer  protests,  and  in- 
sists that  he  will  pay  him  and  pay  him  well, 
too,  as  soon  as  he  is  married  and  has  the  thou- 
sand rubles.  But  the  wily  schatchen  replies, 
"  No  !  no  !  I  do  not  want  any  money.  I  wish 

to  see  that  every  young  man  who  becomes  a 

40 


The  Betrothal  of  a  Yeshiva  Bocher. 

citizen  of  the  town  is  a  baalh'bos.  Do  you 
suppose  I  am  doing  this  for  money?  Oh, 
no !  "  (He  knows  only  too  well  that  he  will 
receive  nothing  from  the  young  man,  but  he 
is  satisfied,  for  he  will  probably  get  ten  rubles 
from  the  parents  for  dragging  the  young  man 
from  the  MUD  to  the  GUTTER.) 

So  the  prospective  bridegroom  sleeps  peace- 
fully, and  enjoys  sweet  dreams  once  more.  He 
is  generous  that  night,  and  allows  his  herd  to 
enjoy  themselves  unmolested.  He  is  happy, 
and  wants  all  around  him  to  be  the  same.  In 
fancy  he  sees  the  girl.  She  is  like  her  mother, 
and  her  mother  is  certainly  a  good-looking 
woman.  He  sees  himself  lounging,  as  did  the 
father,  on  the  sofa  in  the  parlor.  His  wife  is 
seated  at  the  window  engaged  in  some  fancy 
work.  He  has  just  returned  from  Riga,  where 
he  has  invested  his  thousand  rubles  in  some  dry 
goods,  and  also  procured  a  credit  for  a  thousand 
rubles.  Two  thousand  rubles  of  dry  goods  will 
make  a  very  imposing  display  in  his  store  ! 

And  now  the  servant  is  bringing  in  the  sam- 
ovar. A  couple  of  young  men,  citizens,  whom 

he  had  seen  come  to  the   beishamedres  in  a 

41 


Minna. 

proud  and  haughty  manner,  are  sitting  at  his 
table,  and  he  is  talking  to  them  in  a  confiden- 
tial tone.  He  is  speaking  of  his  experiences  at 
Riga — how  he  conversed  with  the  wholesale 
people  in  so  business-like  a  manner  that  they 
never  for  a  moment  imagined  he  was  a  yeshiva 
bocher.  They  were  quite  confident  that  he  was 
the  son  of  some  wealthy  man,  and  had  been 
brought  up  in  the  dry-goods  business.  He 
bought  well,  and  as  the  wholesale  merchants 
desired  his  future  trade,  they  gave  him  great 
bargains. 

His  father-in-law  now  enters  the  dining-room, 
and  they  all  laugh  and  talk  gaily.  His  friends 
pat  him  on  the  shoulder,  just  as  if  he  were  an 
old  comrade  and  brother.  His  mother-in-law 
comes  in  smiling.  She  whispers  something  in 
her  daughter's  ear,  who  quickly  gets  up  and 
goes  out,  immediately  returning  and  looking 
very  satisfied.  The  servant  then  comes  and 
moves  the  samovar  aside  while  all  continue  to 
chat  and  drink  their  tea.  At  one  end  of  the 
table  a  serviette  is  spread  ;  a  plate,  with  a  knife 
and  fork,  is  laid  upon  it  in  true  baalh'bos 

style.     Then  a  WHOLE  LOAF  of  bread  is  placed 

42 


The  Betrothal  of  a  Yeshiva  Bocher. 

upon  the  table  !  His  wife  comes  over  to  him 
and  says,  "  Yossel !  Will  you  come  and  wash 
your  hands  now?"  (Every  good  Jew,  before 
taking  a  meal,  pours  water  from  a  cup  three 
times  over  each  hand,  and  afterward,  while  dry- 
ing them,  says  a  short  prayer.) 

Smiling,  he  arises  and  gives  his  wife  a  look 
that  conveys  a  great  deal.  He  walks  into  the 
kitchen,  washes  his  hands,  dries  them,  and 
comes  in  again.  He  sits  down  at  the  head  of 
the  table  (the  place  of  honor)  and,  after  another 
quiet  prayer,  cuts  the  loaf  of  bread  and  takes  a 
bite.  Ah  ! — After  that  bite  he  is  permitted  to 
speak.  Every  one  has  something  funny  to  say  ; 
all  are  so  merry  and  jovial.  He  drinks  a  little 
schnapps  and  passes  the  bottle  around  the 
table.  The  servant  brings  in  a  little  herring 
salad  as  an  appetizer.  Then  he  drinks  some 
brandy  again,  and  the  bottle  makes  another  tour 
of  the  table.  He  pours  a  little  schnapps  into  a 
glass,  beckons  his  wife  over  to  him,  and,  with  a 
wink,  draws  her  close  to  him  and  whispers 
something  in  her  ear.  The  young  men  declare 
that  his  lips  touched  her  face.  She  blushes 

and  protests  that  it  is  not  so,  but  the  others 

43 


Minna. 

will  not  have  it  otherwise  ;  even  the  father-in- 
law  says  he  saw  it.  The  mother-in-law  is  look- 
ing out  of  the  window  ;  she  sees  and  hears 
nothing,  feeling  only  the  happiness  of  her 
daughter. 

Ah  !  The  servant  enters  again,  and  after 
clearing  away  the  herring  plates,  brings  in  the 
roasted  leg  of  a  goose.  (This  is  considered  a 
great  delicacy  by  the  Russian  Jews.)  The  wife 
has  smoked  it  herself  and  then  carefully  baked 
it  in  the  oven.  It  certainly  tastes  good,  and  he 
smacks  his  lips  with  a  keen  relish  of  its  excel- 
lence ;  for,  has  not  his  young  wife  prepared  it 
especially  for  him  ?  He  is  eating,  while  the 
others  are  drinking.  Oh,  how  happy  and  con- 
tented he  is  ! 

After  benzen  (the  meal  prayer)  the  table-cloth 
is  removed  and  the  samovar  is  replaced  in  the 
center  of  the  table.  The  wife  and  his  mother- 
in-law  go  to  the  table.  They  put  charcoal  in 
the  chimney  and  fill  the  samovar  with  fresh, 
cold  water.  But  it  seems  that  the  maid  has  al- 
lowed the  fire  to  burn  down  too  far  for  the  new 
charcoal  to  ignite.  He  is  thirsty  and  desires  a 
glass  of  tea  very  much.  As  he  is  the  young 

44 


The  Betrothal  of  a  Yeshiva  Bocher. 

bos,  he  calls  the  maid  and  tells  her  to  take  the 
samovar  out  to  the  kitchen  ;  he  follows  her  to 
see  that  it  receives  proper  attention.  The  only 
way  to  make  the  fire  burn  is  to  blow  into  the 
chimney  with  the  mouth  to  create  a  draught. 
The  maid  blows  and  blows,  but  without  any 
success.  So  he,  himself,  bends  down  and  be- 
gins to  blow.  As  he  does  so,  a  spark  from  the 
fire  flies  out  onto  his  forehead.  He  springs  up 
and  falls  backward.  The  fall  is  so  hard  that  he 

AWAKES,  and   finds  himself  lying  on  the 

floor.  He  has  fallen  off  the  bench.  Poor, 
poor  yeshiva  bocher ;  he  was  only  dreaming  ! 

He  rises,  still  parched  and  thirsty,  and  looks 
about  him.  Although  it  is  not  time  to  get  up, 
he  cannot  sleep  any  more.  He  sits  down  to 
review  his  dream,  and  promptly  takes  it  as  a 
prophetic  omen.  "Yes,"  he  says,  "I  wish  this 
marriage  was  over,  so  that  I  could  get  away 
from  this  horrible  place."  The  bench  seems 
to  get  harder  as  he  sits  on  it.  He  has  never 
before  noted  how  dirty  it  all  is  ;  and  he  com- 
pares it  with  the  beautiful  apartment  of  his 
dream.  How  vulgar  all  his  comrades  are  ! 

They  lie  snoring  on  the  benches,  and  floor. 

45 


Minna. 

Again  he  compares  them  with  the  associates  of 
his  dream,  in  his  father-in-law's  saal  (parlor). 
He  does  not  see  how  he  can  remain  in  such 
filthy  surroundings  much  longer.  Think  of 
what  a  smart  young  man  he  was  !  How  well 
he  had  bought  those  dry-goods  !  "  Oh,  how  I 
wish  it  were  daylight,  that  I  could  see  the 
schatchen  !  "  he  murmurs. 

The  other  yeshiva  bocherim  begin  to  move 
and  dress.  He  looks  at  them  with  disgust  and 
listens  with  loathing  to  their  vile  jokes.  He 
cannot  comprehend  how  it  was  possible  that 
he  could  have  enjoyed  such  jokes  before. 
What  a  horrible  and  vile  set  they  are  !  After 
they  have  dressed  and  "  davnened"  and  gone 
out,  he  begins  to  feel  hungry.  .The  goose's 
drumstick  of  his  dream  is  beating  a  call  on  his 
empty  stomach.  He  quickly  pulls  on  his  torn 
and  ragged  shoes,  his  coat  and  trousers,  puts 
on  his  cap,  says  a  short  prayer  and  goes  in  to 
davnen.  To  his  delight  he  finds  the  schatchen 
there.  Plucking  up  courage,  the  young  man 
goes  over  to  him  and  says,  "Good  morning, 
Reb  Itzik.  Sholom-Aleichem."  (Peace  be 

thine).     The  schatchen  responds  with  a  warm 

46 


The  Betrothal  of  a  Yeshiva  Bocher. 

shake  of  the  hand,  whispering,  "  I  want  to  see 
you  after  davnen." 

If  God  has  never  before  been  cheated  in  a 
prayer,  he  certainly  is  this  morning  by  the  poor 
yeshiva  bocher.  The  ceremony  is  anything 
but  devotional.  He  keeps  his  tephilim  (phy- 
lacteries) on  his  head,  also  wound  around 
his  arms.  His  prayer-book  is  open,  but  his 
thoughts  are  far  from  it ;  he  can  only  think, 
"  Where  is  that  schatchen  going  to  take  me,  or 
what  has  he  to  tell  me  ? "  The  dream  is  still 
fresh  in  his  memory.  Mechanically  he  goes 
through  all  the  prayer  movements  ;  he  mum- 
bles, but  does  not  say  a  word,  nor  does  he  know 
what  he  is  doing.  He  is  startled  by  hear- 
ing the  schatchen  say :  "  Well !  Are  you 
through  ? "  and  at  the  same  time  he  finds  him- 
self winding  up  his  tephilim  as  all  the  others 
are  doing,  and  he  places  it  under  the  bench  in 
a  box. 

Automatically  he  goes  out  with  the  schat- 
chen, who  says,  "  Come  along  with  me  to  a 
tailor  and  be  measured  for  a  suit."  From  there 
they  go  to  the  shoemaker  where  he  is  measured 

for  shoes,  and  the  schatchen  then  invites  the 

47 


Minna. 

poor  stupefied  boy  to  his  own  home.  A  bottle 
of  schnapps  is  placed  on  the  table,  and  while 
his  host  takes  a  large  portion,  the  young  man 
is  persuaded  to  take  a  small  one  (to  benefit 
them  both).  The  yeshiva  backer  is  not  ac- 
customed to  a  large  glass  of  schnapps,  and  a 
little  one  will  not  hurt  him — nor  the  bottle. 
The  schatchen  then  begins  a  glowing  descrip- 
tion of  the  young  man's  future  happiness. 
While  he  is  painting  the  beautiful  pictures, 
the  young  man's  teeth  are  chattering  from 
hunger.  He  timidly  says,  "  I  have  missed  my 
breakfast  this  morning."  The  schatchen  asks, 
"  Where  is  your  '  day '  to-day  ?  "  and  being 
told  he  cheerfully  says,  "  Oh,  that  is  all  right,  I 
know  those  people  very  well  ;  don't  worry,  I'll 
fix  it  up  for  you.  I  will  see  that  they  have  an 
early  dinner  to-day,  so  you  go  there  before  the 
usual  time." 

Poor  yeshiva  bocher  !  Without  a  particle  of 
food,  he  departs  to  the  beishamedres,  where  he 
tries  to  while  away  a  few  hungry  hours  in  study. 
But  the  schnapps  has  acted  as  an  appetizer  ; 
and  after  trying  vainly  to  interest  himself  in 

the  book  he  eventually  goes  over  to  one  of  the 

" 


The  Betrothal  of  a  Yeshiva  Bocher. 

yeshiva  bocherim  and  tries  to  borrow  a  pam 
(three  groschen  or  a  kopeck  and  a  half).  One 
refuses  it,  another  hasn't  it ;  and  finally,  by 
telling  one  that  the  house  was  closed  when  he 
arrived  for  breakfast,  tie  manages  to  get  a  pam. 
He  sends  one  of  the  younger  boys  out  to  buy 
a  bulke  (a  large  roll  about  three  times  as  large 
as  an  ordinary  roll  in  America),  and  with  that 
bulke  he  goes  into  the  women's  part  of  the 
beishamedres  and  sandwiches  it  with  the 
goose  of  his  dream.  Really  it  tastes  fine  ! 

In  a  short  time  he  goes  to  dinner,  and  finds 
it  better  than  usual.  He  sees  that  his  hosts 
already  understand  that  he  is  going  to  be  one 
of  the  rich  citizens,  and  he  notices  how  respect- 
ful they  are  to  him.  Poor  yeshiva  bocher  !  It 
is  only  a  delusion  ;  but  he  eats  his  meal  with 
keen  satisfaction,  wipes  his  whiskers  on  his 
coat-sleeve,  and  departs,  a  contented  future 
baalh'bos. 


49 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE    YESHIVA     BOCHER'S   WEDDING. 

A  WEEK  passes.  An  old  woman  will  be 
seen  going  from  house  to  house,  entering  each 
without  rapping.  As  she  enters  she  says  : 
"  You  are  invited  to  the  wedding  of  Reb 
Maize's  daughter  who  is  to  be  married  to  a 
yeshiva  bocher ;  a  vailen  ingil"  Some  hand 
her  a  kopeck  or  a  groschen  (quarter  of  a  cent), 
while  others  only  grin  significantly  and  ask, 
"  When  is  the  wedding  ?"  She  replies,  "  On 
Thursday,  at  Reb  Avtom's"  (A  citizen  who 
is  willing  to  have  this  wild  performance  take 
place  in  his  house.)  She  goes  from  house  to 
house,  repeating  the  same  story  and  answering 
the  same  questions.  Some  will  probably  say, 
"  I  am  glad  that  man  is  getting  rid  of  his 
daughter  !  She  is  so  homely;  she  is  not  smart. 
She  is  no  longer  young  ;  in  fact  she  is  old,  and 
oh,  so  short  and  thick  !  Why,  I  saw  her  last 

week  and  she  seems   older  than    her  mother, 

5° 


The  Yeshiva  Bocher's  Wedding. 

and  you  know  what  a  body  her  mother  is  !  I 
am  very  glad  indeed  that  the  poor  man  is  go- 
ing to  be  rid  of  such  a  load  !  "  The  old  woman, 
omitting  no  house,  visits  the  rich  and  poor 
alike,  inviting  them  allio  the  wedding. 

Thus  the  invitations  are  arranged  ;  and  when 
the  wedding  takes  place  nearly  everybody 
comes,  for  it  is  always  a  lively  affair.  There 
is  sure  to  be  music,  no  matter  how  poor  the 
parents  or  the  music  may  be  ;  and,  as  balls  are 
unknown  in  these  towns,  a  wedding  is  consid- 
ered a  great  treat,  and,  being  an  open  affair,  it 
gives  the  young  people  an  opportunity  to  come 
together,  to  dance  and  be  merry.  The  girls 
have  their  calico  dresses  washed  and  stiffly 
starched,  and  their  hair  done  up  in  tight  braids 
so  that  it  will  be  well  crimped  the  next  day. 

The  night  previous  to  the  wedding,  the  bride 
is  taken  to  the  public  bath.  All  the  women 
being  aware  of  this,  suddenly  find  that  they  are 
very  much  in  need  of  a  bath  also,  and  put  in 
their  appearance  in  time  to  take  part,  as  actors 
or  spectators,  in  the  ceremony  of  "bathing  the 
bride."  The  bath-room  is  long,  with  wooden 

steps  built  along  one  of  the  walls  and  extend- 

5* 


Minna. 

ing  almost  to  the  ceiling,  that  the  bathers  may 
mount  where  the  air  is  hottest.  The  fireplace 
is  filled  with  red-hot  stones  over  which  an  old 
woman  attendant  (the  tukerke)  throws  buckets 
of  water,  until  a  dense  cloud  of  steam  fills  the 
room.  Every  woman  in  the  room  is  naked,  for 
bath-robes  are  unknown  among  the  Russian 
Jews.  Some  of  them  lie  flat  on  the  steps,  and 
the  tukerke  comes  along  with  a  little  broom, 
made  of  young  bushes  with  large  leaves,  which 
she  first  dips  into  cold  water,  and  then  holds 
aloft  in  the  steaming  air  so  that  the  vapor  may 
pass  through  it.  Then  she  passes  along  the  tiers 
of  prone  bathers  and  spanks  each  one  with  it. 
As  a  general  joke  everybody  joins  in  spanking 
the  bride,  so  there  is  usually  a  pretty  lively 
time.  Her  torture  is  further  increased  by  all 
manner  of  vulgar  jokes,  perpetrated  at  the 
bride's  expense.  Every  woman  asks  her  em- 
barrassing questions  and  demands  a  reply  ;  and 
if  the  poor  bewildered  girl  refuses  to  answer, 
she  is  badgered  all  the  more. 

And  now,  the  tukerke  has  another  task  to 
perform  ;  a  necessary,  religious  duty.  She 
cuts  the  finger  and  toe  nails  of  the  bride,  and 


The  Yeshiva  Bocher's  Wedding. 

being  in  a  hurry  she  sometimes  cuts  so  deeply 
that  the  poor  girl  has  a  sore  toe  or  ringer  to 
nurse  for  weeks  after  the  wedding.  After  she 
has  been  thoroughly  scrubbed,  and  her  hair 
has  been  washed  and  rinsed,  she  is  taken  to 
the  mikvoh  (plunge  room).  This  is  built  on 
the  style  of  the  usual  plunge  in  the  Turkish 
baths,  being  a  little  below  the  level  of  the  floor. 
The  only  difference  is  that  in  the  Turkish  bath 
the  water  is  changed  daily ;  whereas  in  the 
mikvoh  it  is  changed  but  once  a  year,  usually 
before  Yom  Kippur  (Day  of  Atonement).  For 
the  entire  year,  nearly  every  man  and  woman 
has  plunged  into  this  same  water,  weekly  or 
monthly. 

The  bride  is  then  led  down  the  steps  to  the 
mikvoh,  the  tukerke  accompanying  her  with  a 
lighted  candle  in  each  hand,  as  a  witness  that 
the  bride  has  been  made  kosher  (holy).  Stand- 
ing in  the  water,  the  bride  repeats  the  follow- 
ing prayer  after  the  old  woman  :  "Bomchatoh 
Adonoh,  eleikeinu  meilech  hoeilum  asher  ki- 
dashonu  bamizveisov  veizivonu  el  tivilis  miz- 
voh"  (Blessed  art  Thou,  O  God,  that  Thou 

hast   hallowed  and  ordained  that   we   should 

53 


Minna. 

hallow  ourselves  through  water.)  Her  hair  has 
been  loosened  and  is  hanging  down.  She  is 
obliged  to  plunge  three  times  into  that  water, 
so  deeply  that  even  her  hair  must  not  remain 
on  the  surface.  While  her  head  is  under 
\vater,  and  after  each  plunge,  the  old  woman 
says  "  kosher"  If  one  plunge  does  not  seem 
satisfactorily  executed,  the  bride  must  repeat 
it  until  the  old  woman  is  quite  satisfied  that 
all  three  plunges  have  been  properly  per- 
formed according  to  the  laws  of  the  Jewish 
religion.  The  bride  is  then  permitted  to  dress 
and  return  to  her  home,  where  she  will  go  be- 
hind the  brick  oven  and  cry. 

Then  her  fast  begins.  Until  she  is  married 
the  next  day,  she  is  not  permitted  to  drink 
even  a  glass  of  water ;  sometimes  her  mother 
will  fast  with  her,  often  the  father  too.  The 
bride  has  no  duties  to  perform  except  to  fast 
and  cry.  If  she  did  not  cry  a  great  deal,  she 
would  be  considered  an  idiot,  for  it  is  the  cus- 
tom for  all  brides  to  do  considerable  crying 
prior  to  the  marriage.  As  if  they  were  not  to 
still  more  after  it ! 

But  what  has  the  yeshiva  bocher  been  doing 

54 


The  Yeshiva  Bocher's  Wedding. 

on  the  morning  of  the  wedding  ?  First  of  all 
the  schatchen  takes  him  to  have  his  hair  cut, 
then  to  the  bath  ;  for  the  choson  (bridegroom) 
usually  manages  to  have  three  kopecks  to  pay 
for  his  bath.  The  schatchen  carries  a  large  red 
handkerchief  tied  up  like  a  bundle,  which  con- 
tains a  new  suit  of  underwear  and  a  red  hand- 
kerchief. No  starched  collars  are  worn  ;  the 
undershirt  generally  has  a  very  broad,  un- 
starched collar,  and  this  flaps  down  over  the 
handkerchief,  which  has  been  placed  around 
the  neck.  Over  the  schatchen's  arm  hangs  a 
new  suit,  and  on  the  other  arm  he  carries  a 
new  pair  of  boots  and  a  new  cap.  Proudly  he 
marches  to  the  bath  by  the  side  of  the  young 
man,  and  every  one  lies  in  wait  to  see  them 
pass.  The  men  are  as  curious  as  the  women  ; 
and  at  the  bath  a  performance  is  gone  through 
with  the  choson  similar  to  the  treatment  of  the 
bride  by  the  women.  Still,  he  has  much  less 
to  suffer,  as  the  nail  cutting,  the  plunges  and 
the  prayers  are  dispensed  with. 

After  the  bath  is  over,  the  young  man  will 
dress  up  in  his  new  underwear,  his  new  suit 

and   his   new   cap  and   creaking   boots,  after 

55 


Minna. 

which  he  will  most  likely  cast  a  questioning 
glance  at  the  schatchen,  as  much  as  to  say, 
"  Well,  where  is  my  watch  ?  Where  is  my 
gold  chain  ? "  But  he  would  not  dare  to  ask 
outright  for  it,  after  having  received  all  the 
new  clothing.  If  only  he  had  a  brother  or  a 
father  there,  they  might  ask  for  it !  Neverthe- 
less he  does  not  forget  that  the  watch  and  chain 
have  been  promised  him.  The  schatchen  has 
seen  his  glance,  and  whispers,  "  Ah,  there  is 
such  a  fine  gold  watch  and  chain  for  you. 
You  will  receive  it  this  afternoon."  With  this 
assurance  the  pooryeshiva  backer  already  feels 
it  in  his  pocket. 

Usually  the  shoes  are  purposely  made  to 
creak  loudly,  and  as  he  walks,  the  young  man 
blushingly  hangs  his  head,  as  each  step  be- 
trays his  errand.  He,  too,  is  fasting;  but  he 
does  not  find  it  so  very  difficult,  for  fasting  is 
no  new  experience  to  him. 

He  is  then  taken  to  the  citizen's  borrowed 
house,  where  a  room  has  been  prepared  for 
the  groom  and  the  men,  as  one  has  been  for 
the  bride  and  the  women.  In  this  room  all 

the  men,  old  and  young,  are  gathered  around 

56 


The  Yeshiva  Bocher's  Wedding. 

a  table,  drinking  schnapps  and  telling  tales. 
If  there  are  any  relatives  of  the  groom  present, 
one  of  these  will  most  likely  say  to  the  father- 
in-law  :  "  How  about  that  thousand  rubles  ? " 
And  the  father-in-law  will  reply,  "  A  thousand 
rubles  ?  Ah,  yes  !  But  I  have  had  a  very 
bad  year,  and  I  am  afraid  I  can  give  you  only 
five  hundred."  "  What !  "  they  will  exclaim, 
"  Only  five  hundred  ?  Why,  you  promised  a 
thousand."  And  the  young  man's  relations 
will  try  and  persuade  him  to  go  home,  saying, 
"  Why,  a  thousand  rubles  have  been  prom- 
ised you.  You  surely  are  not  going  to  marry 
a  miserable  five  hundred  ?  A  bright  young 
fellow  like  you,  can  easily  get  ten  thousand." 
"  No,  you  don't,"  chimes  in  the  father-in-law  ; 
"  No  fear !  No  doubt  but  what  you  could  get 
a  great  deal  of  money  now,  after  I  have  taken 
you  out  of  that  filthy  condition.  Who  looked 
at  you  before  ?  You  miserable,  half-starved 
yeshiva  backer!  It  was  I  who  made  a  man  of 
you.  Look  at  yourself  now  !  You  look  like 
a  real  baalk'bos.  How  did  you  look  this 
morning  ? " 

Poor  yeshiva  backer!     He  sits  there,  fright- 

57 


Minna. 

ened  to  death  lest  this  misunderstanding  dis- 
solve the  engagement,  and  he  may  have  to 
take  off  his  new,  proudly-creaking  boots  and 
his  brand-new  suit.  He  begins  to  wonder 
whether  the  bath-house  is  closed  or  not, 
whether  he  will  be  able  to  get  his  old  clothes 
back.  Personally,  he  is  content  with  less 
money,  provided  he  may  retain  his  new  outfit. 
If  the  young  man  has  no  relatives  present,  the 
schatchen  manages  to  make  himself  scarce  ; 
for  he  has  learned  from  long  experience  that 
the  first  thing  the  young  man  will  ask  for  is  the 
watch  and  chain. 

Sometimes  the  money  affair  will  be  ar- 
ranged in  this  way  :  The  father-in-law  says  he 
will  give  the  young  man  five  hundred  rubles  and 
kest  (board  for  the  young  man  and  his  wife),  in 
lieu  of  the  additional  five  hundred  rubles.  In 
pledge  of  this  the  father-in-law  gives  the  young 
man  his  hand  before  witnesses,  and  the  young 
man's  friends  are  satisfied.  Or  again  the 
father-in-law  may  say,  "  Oh,  the  money  is  all 
right !  It  is  safely  deposited  with  a  friend  of 
mine.  The  watch  ?  Ah,  true  !  Hmmmmm  ! 

Laibele,  come  here  to  me.     Go  and  ask  mamma 

58 


The  Yeshiva  Bocher's  Wedding. 

what  she  has  done  with  the  watch  and  chain  ?  " 
After  a  lapse  of  an  hour  or  two  the  boy  will 
return  and  say,  "  Mamma  says  she  has  put  it 
under  the  pillows  at  home,  for  safety's  sake  ;  " 
and  another  young  man  is  sent  off  for  it. 
While  the  money  question  is  being  settled, 
and  the  watch  hunt  is  in  progress,  the  hours 
slip  by.  Sometimes  the  bride's  father  will  give 
the  yeshiva  backer  a  receipt  for  the  money 
which  has  been  deposited  with  a  friend  ;  but 
the  young  man  usually  finds  that,  when  he 
presents  the  receipt  to  get  the  money,  the  sly 
fox  has  been  there  ahead  of  him  and  taken  it 
away. 

Meanwhile  the  ceremony  has  begun.  The 
musicians  are  there  and  the  whole  town  has 
turned  out  for  the  occasion.  There  is  loud 
calling  for  the  bride,  and  one  of  the  girls  will 
go  to  seek  her,  to  return  with  the  message  that 
she  is  dressing.  While  they  are  waiting  the 
music  plays  and  the  girls  dance  together,  for 
the  young  men  are  not  allowed  to  dance  ; — in 
fact  no  young  man  is  to  be  seen  in  the  wed- 
ding room  except  the  musicians.  Every  girl 

that  pays  three  kopecks  to  the  musicians  will 

59 


Minna. 

be  permitted  to  have  one  dance,  and  the  more 
money  a  girl  has,  the  more  she  will  enjoy  her- 
self. 

Suddenly  the  cry  arises,  "  The  bride  is 
coming  !  The  bride  is  coming  !  "  and  the 
musicians  will  immediately  go  outside  and 
play  their  most  dismal  music,  as  a  welcome  to 
the  bride.  Accompanied  by  a  few  older  mar- 
ried women,  she  enters  the  wedding  room, 
dressed  in  her  black  silk  dress,  her  mother  by 
her  side.  Seating  herself  at  one  end  of  the 
room,  with  some  married  women  around  her, 
she  remains  seated  while  the  dances  proceed. 

At  last  the  women  begin  to  tire  of  the  danc- 
ing. A  chair  is  placed  in  the  center  of  the 
floor,  and  as  soon  as  the  bride  sees  this  move, 
she  covers  her  face  with  her  handkerchief  and 
begins  to  sob  and  cry  aloud.  The  two  unter- 
fihrerkes  (bridesmaids,  generally  married  wo- 
men), lead  her  to  the  center  of  the  room  and 
seat  her  on  the  chair.  The  bride's  hair  is 
loosened  and  let  down  ;  then  a  saucer  of  sugar 
and  water  is  brought  over,  and  every  woman 
dips  her  ringer  in  it  and  smears  it  over  the 

bride's    head.      About   two   yards   of   coarse 

60 


The  Yeshiva  Bocher's  Wedding. 

white  sewing  thread  are  next  brought  in  and 
her  hair  is  tied  up  in  little  knots.  While  this 
is  in  progress,  two  other  women  loosen  the 
bands  of  her  petticoats  and  skirts,  untie  her 
shoes,  take  down  her  vgarters,  and  open  her 
bodice.  The  two  women  then  take  their  stand 
on  either  side  of  the  bride,  one  holding  close 
to  her  forehead  a  plate  of  fine  lekach  (ginger- 
bread crumbs),  over  which  a  red  silk  handker- 
chief has  been  carelessly  thrown.  Word  is 
then  sent  to  the  men  that  the  bride  is  ready. 

If  fate  is  kind,  the  financial  question  has 
been  settled  by  this  time,  and  the  young  man, 
accompanied  by  his  fellow-citizens,  will  come 
to  the  wedding  room.  As  he  nears  the  room, 
every  one  cries,  "  The  choson  is  coming  !  The 
choson  is  coming  !  "  and  the  women  separate 
to  make  room  for  the  groom  and  his  following. 
When  the  young  man  comes  in  with  his 
crowd,  (he  has  not  seen  the  bride  yet,  nor  does 
he  see  her  now,  for  her  head  is  bowed  to  her 
breast),  he  can  only  hear  his  future  companion 
sobbing  and  crying  pitifully.  Indeed  every- 
body cries.  Then  the  groom  takes  one  end  of 

the  handkerchief  that  lies  over  the  plate,  the 

61 


Minna. 

husbands  of  the  unterfihrerkes  take  the  other 
ends,  and  together,  they  quickly  lift  it  up  and 
throw  it  over  the  bride's  head.  Just  as  soon 
as  this  is  done,  all  the  women  rush  madly  for 
the  plate,  grab  handfuls  of  the  gingerbread 
crumbs  and  throw  them  at  the  bridegroom  and 
the  men,  who  dash  for  the  door  and  then  pro- 
ceed to  the  synagogue. 

It  is  very  often  the  case  that  the  bride  has 
fainted  from  the  day's  fast,  from  the  heat  of  the 
room,  from  her  crying,  and  from  all  that  she 
has  gone  through  ;  but  there  is  no  mercy 
among  these  savages.  They  will  not  allow  the 
least  opportunity  for  torturing  the  bride  to 
slip  by.  They  must  amuse  themselves. 

In  front  of  the  synagogue  four  men  hold  a 
huppa,  or  canopy  on  four  posts,  under  which 
the  groom  awaits  the  bridal  procession.  Two 
women  hurriedly  lift  the  bride  from  the  chair 
and  march  her  to  the  synagogue,  supported  on 
either  side  by  the  unterfihrerkes  (bridesmaids), 
for  she  is  a  pitiful  sight.  Her  stockings  are 
hanging  down,  her  shoes  are  open,  and  the 
strings  trail  on  the  ground.  She  drags  her- 
self along,  supporting  her  loosened  skirts  with 

62 


The  Yeshiva  Bocher's  Wedding. 

both  hands,  the  red  handkerchief  tied  to  her 
head  and  hanging  down  over  her  face.  The 
entire  crowd  of  women  follow  until  they  reach 
the  synagogue. 

While  the  rabbi  is  engaged  in  a  little  cere- 
mony, the  bride  and  the  women  all  stand  a 
little  to  one  side.  When  the  word  is  given  she 
is  taken  under  the  canopy,  and  to  the  singing 
and  praying  of  the  entire  congregation,  she 
solemnly  marches  thrice  around  the  groom, 
who  stands  in  the  center.  At  the  end  of  the 
third  round  she  stops  in  front  of  him,  and  a 
bridesmaid  lifts  her  right  hand,  the  forefinger 
of  which  is  pointed  at  the  groom.  He  takes  a 
ring  (or  a  silver  coin)  and  places  it  on  the 
finger,  saying  as  he  does  so  :  "  Hari  at  mei- 
kudeshes  le  beitabas  su  ceidas  Meises  vei 
Ishroel "  (For  truth  you  are  prepared  to  me 
with  this  ring,  according  to  the  law  of  Moses 
and  Israel." 

These  words  are  used  as  a  most  solemn 
marriage  bond  ;  and  without  the  ring  (or  the 
coin)  the  marriage  would  not  be  legal.  As 
soon  as  he  has  said  them,  every  one  cries  out 

11  Masiltof;  "  and  if  you  were  to  glance  at  the 

63 


Minna. 

father-in-law  at  that  moment,  you  would  see 
how  he  swells  out  his  chest  and  heaves  a  deep 
sigh  of  relief. 

Next  the  rabbi  will  say  a  prayer  over  a  glass 
of  wine,  from  which  he  takes  a  small  sip,  and 
hands  it  to  the  young  husband,  who  drains  the 
contents,  throws  the  empty  glass  on  the  floor, 
and  crushes  it  under  the  heel  of  those  power- 
ful new  boots. 

Now  the  whole  procession  sets  out  for  the 
real  home  of  the  father-in-law.  One  of  the 
women  takes  from  beneath  her  shawl  a  very 
large  round  flat  gingerbread,  called  the  kalo 
lekach  (wedding  cake),  which  is  as  hard  as  the 
very  hardest  of  ginger  cake.  Another  woman, 
usually  a  machuteneste  (near  relative,  or  close 
friend),  takes  this  cake  with  one  hand  while 
she  holds  her  skirts  together  with  the  other  ; 
and  raising  the  kalo  lekach  as  high  above  her 
head  as  she  can  reach,  she  dances  constantly 
in  a  circle  before  the  advancing  bride,  (whose 
face  is  still  covered),  singing  as  she  does  so  : 
"  Kalo  lekach!  Kalo  lekach  /"  Some  of  the 
other  married  women  carry  lighted  candles 

and  succeed    in   marring  the     festivities  by 

64 


The  Yeshiva  Bocher's  Wedding. 

spoiling  many  a  silk  dress  with  the  drippings  ; 
others  clap  their  hands  in  time  to  the  singing, 
all  the  while  marching  on.  When  one  has 
danced  about  a  dozen  turns,  another  will 
spring  suddenly  forward  and,  forcing  the  cake 
from  the  other's  hand,  will  continue  the  dance 
herself.  Thus  it  goes  on.  The  cake  is 
changed  from  hand  to  hand,  the  women  hop, 
the  procession  proceeds,  the  music  plays,  and 
at  last  they  reach  the  real  home  of  the  bride. 

When  they  arrive  the  young  man  is  amazed. 
He  cannot  comprehend  why  the  wedding 
feast  should  take  place  in  such  a  tumble-down 
old  shanty.  But,  of  course  he  is  hungry  and 
tired,  and  he  has  not  yet  received  his  watch 
and  chain,  nor  the  money.  Why  ?  He  fears 
to  ask  the  question.  As  soon  as  he  is  seated  at 
the  table  beside  his  bride,  whose  face  he  has 
not  yet  seen,  chicken  broth,  (called  golderne 
yaichelle),  is  served  specially  for  the  young 
couple.  After  he  has  taken  a  few  spoonfuls  of 
it,  a  sudden  thought  enters  his  head  :  "  Did 
not  my  bride  appear  to  be  rather  short  under 
the  canopy  ?  I  had  to  look  down  upon  her 

when  I  placed  the  ring  on  her  finger."     But 
5  65 


Minna. 

this  is  only  a  momentary  thought,  quickly  dis- 
missed when  schnapps  is  served. 

A  little  old  starved-looking  woman  is  hover- 
ing around  him,  and  it  gradually  dawns  upon 
him  that  this  is  the  real  mother-in-law.  But 
where  is  the  gracious  lady  whom  he  saw  on  the 
day  of  the  engagement  and  has  never  seen 
since  ?  This  woman,  not  only  is  she  devoid  of 
a  gold  chain  around  her  neck  and  a  beautiful 
brooch,  but  she  is  wearing  a  shabby  old  dress 
that  may  have  served  thirty-five  years  ago  as 
her  wredding  gown,  and  is  now  her  only  Sab- 
bath garment !  Frightened  and  shocked,  he 
looks  at  his  father-in-law.  Yes,  that  is  the 
same  coat  he  wore  on  the  engagement  day  ! 
It  might  have  been  black  once,  but  it  is  green 
and  glossy  now ;  and,  judging  from  the  wed- 
ding feast,  he  begins  to  feel  that  the  outlook 
for  his  promised  three  years'  board  and  lodg- 
ing is  not  very  encouraging.  Still,  as  he  is  not 
an  over-conscientious  yeshiva  bocher,  he  con- 
soles himself  with  the  thought :  "  If  I  find 
that  the  bride  is  not  pretty,  and  the  board  is 
not  good,  why,  I  will  take  the  five  hundred 

rubles  and  go  to  America    and  leave  the  old 

66 


The  Yeshiva  Bocher's  Wedding. 

man  his  daughter."  With  these  consolations 
for  the  future  he  strengthens  his  weak  heart 
and  fills  his  empty  stomach  with  the  wedding 
feast. 

The  bride  has  also  e^ten  ;  and  being  satis- 
fied both  in  body  and  soul,  the  kosher  (holy) 
dance  begins.  When  the  family  is  very  poor 
and  the  crowd  small,  the  kosher  dance  and  the 
wedding  present  dance  are  combined.  Other- 
wise they  are  given  separately,  that  the  batchen, 
(a  joking  master  of  the  dance),  may  get  more 
money  out  of  the  assembled  guests. 

The  bride  is  left  standing  in  the  center  of 
the  room  where  the  men  and  women  now 
mingle  together  and  seem  to  be  trying  to  con- 
ceal something  in  the  folds  of  their  dresses,  or 
in  their  coat-tails.  The  joker,  or  batchen, 
stands  in  a  corner  and,  one  by  one,  calls  upon 
the  honorary  guests  and  nearest  relatives  of 
the  bridegroom  and  the  bride,  and  then  upon 
the  dearest  friends  and  neighbors  of  both,  to 
come  forward  and  dance  with  the  bride.  As 
he  calls  upon  each  in  turn,  he  improvises  some 
rhyming  joke  upon  the  name  of  the  person, 

who  then  comes  forward,  bearing  a  wedding 

67 


Minna. 

present  so  conspicuously  that  all  may  see  it, 
and,  stepping  to  the  side  of  the  bride,  the  per- 
son so  called  whirls  her  about  in  unison  with 
the  music. 

The  presents  are  laid  on  the  table  ;  and  the 
joker,  while  collecting  his  coins  from  each 
dancer,  calls  on  another  and  another,  all  the 
while  rhyming  and  joking  with  spontaneous 
but  cheap  wit  upon  the  name  of  each  guest,  to 
the  hilarious  enjoyment  of  the  crowd,  until  all 
who  have  presents  to  give  and  a  coin  to  spend 
have  had  a  dance  with  the  bride.  This  poor 
mortal  receives  some  pretty  hard  swings  dur- 
ing the  wedding-present  dance,  which,  added 
to  her  previous  fasting  and  other  tortures,  keep 
her  on  the  verge  of  collapse.  But  what  does 
that  matter  ?  The  more  the  merrier,  and  the 
merrier,  the  more  presents. 

Finally  a  woman  edges  up  to  the  bride  and 
"  digs  "  her  in  the  side,  saying  at  the  same 
time  :  "  Come  outside,  I  want  to  see  you  a 
minute."  The  bride  follows  to  another  room 
where  a  wig-maker,  generally  a  woman,  awaits 
her  with  a  pair  of  scissors  in  her  hand.  In  a 

few  moments  the  bride's  long  hair  is  clipped 

68 


The  Yeshiva  Bocher's  Wedding. 

off,  so  closely  that  you  would  imagine  she  had 
been  shaved.  A  little  black  calico  cap  is  tied 
on  her  head,  and,  with  a  ruble  and  a  bunch  of 
hair,  an  exchange  is  made  for  a  wig  for  the 
bride,  to  be  put  on  the  following  morning. 
The  poor  creature,  in  her  natural  state  might 
be  a  blonde  ;  but  the  next  day  she  is  quite 
likely  to  appear  with  a  jet-black  wig,  for  these 
are  called  chinison  hor  (china  hair),  the  cheap- 
est kind  possible. 

From  the  wig-maker  the  bride  is  led  to  the 
bridal  chamber,  which  is  quite  often  in  a  barn. 
She  is  undressed,  and  no  less  than  twenty 
women  participate  in  this  torture.  All  that 
takes  place  in  that  room  is  of  the  same  order  of 
cheap  wit  that  characterizes  the  ceremony  of 
the  bath.  They  badger  the  bride  and  insult 
her  with  all  manner  of  vulgar  jokes,  until  fi- 
nally exhausted,  she  drops  into  bed.  Her  nose 
is  red,  her  eyes  are  swollen,  her  hair  is  clipped 
off,  a  black  cap  is  tied  on  her  head  ; — she  has 
been  made  kosher.  In  this  picturesque  condi- 
tion, the  bride  awaits  her  lord. 

While  the  kalo  is  being  prepared  to  receive 

her  husband  in  the  bridal  "  barn,"  the  crowd 

69 


Minna. 

amuses  itself  with  teasing  the  choson.  He  is 
told  that  some  one  wants  to  see  him  on  busi- 
ness. He  replies  that  his  business  just  then 
is  his  wedding,  at  which  every  one  laughs  and 
applauds  him  for  his  wit.  They  find  it  ex- 
ceedingly difficult  to  fool  him  into  the  bridal 
apartment,  however,  so  they  all  begin  to  sing, 

"  That's  the  way,  that's  the  way, 

We  fool  the  choson  ; 
We  promise  lots  of  money, 

But  we  give  him  not  a  groschen." 

Poor  fellow  !  He  thinks  they  are  merely 
joking  :  but  the  crowd  and  the  parents  know 
it  is  the  truth. 

Finally  they  get  him  in  the  center  of  the 
room  and  dance  him  around  and  around. 
They  drag  him  here  and  drag  him  there,  and 
gradually  lead  him  toward  the  bridal  chamber, 
where  some  unseen  hand  opens  the  door  and 
he  is  literally  "  fired  "  in.  Then  it  is  closed 
and  barred  on  the  outside ;  and  while  the 
crowd  gives  itself  up  to  merriment  and  danc- 
ing, he  stands  there  contemplating  his  wife  by 
the  light  of  one  small  candle.  He  notes  the 

black  cap.     Well,  that  is  all  right,   for  he  has 

70 


The  Yeshiva  Bocher's  Wedding. 

seen  his  mother  wearing  one.  He  sees  her 
red  and  swollen  eyes.  Well,  that  is  all  right, 
she  has  been  crying.  He  looks  at  her  red 
nose.  Well,  that  is  all  right  too.  That  would 
be  caused  by  the  crying.  "  But,  I  don't 
know,"  he  says  to  himself,  "it  seems  to  me 
she  is  homely  in  general.  She  doesn't  look 
like  the  young  girls  I  have  seen,  but  more  like 
an  old  woman.  Well,  what  do  I  care  anyhow  ? 
It's  dark  now  ;  maybe  she'll  look  better  in  the 
morning."  Finally  the  young  man  undresses, 
and  with  one  eye  on  his  new  suit  and  the  other 
on  his  new  pair  of  boots,  he  retires. 

In  the  morning,  when  he  arises,  the  poor 
yeshiva  bocher  is  received  with  a  smile  by  his 
father-in-law,  who  scratches  his  beard  and 
says  :  "  I  am  sorry,  but  I  am  unable  to  find 
your  watch."  The  yeshiva  bocher  looks  at  his 
wife.  He  would  like  to  run  off  to  America, 
but  alas  !  the  five  hundred  rubles  are  still 
forthcoming.  The  father-in-law  tells  a  hard 
luck  story  and  explains  that  the  five  hundred 
rubles  are  impossible.  The  yeshiva  bocher 
takes  the  tephilim  and  goes  to  the  beisha- 

medres.     His  comrades  wait  for  him  and  greet 

71 


Minna. 

him  with  a  shout  of  laughter.  For  a  pair  of 
new  boots  and  a  suit  of  clothes  he  has  taken  a 
homely  old- maid  daughter  off  the  hands  of  an 
old  Jew,  whose  poverty  is  a  byword  !  So  he 
continues  his  studies,  or  lies  around  the 
beishamedres  lazily,  just  as  he  chooses,  while 
his  wife  sells  fresh  baked  bread,  matches  and 
soap.  His  life  has  changed.  Before  his  mar- 
riage he  had  many  "  days,"  and  nothing  to  eat ; 
now  he  has  little  to  eat  on  many  days.  But 
oh,  that  thousand  rubles  and  the  trip  to  Riga  ! 
Poor,  poor  yeshiva  backer  I 


72 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE   WEDblNG. 

ON  the  Friday  night  before  my  wedding,  I 
stole  to  Reb  Schmia's  yard,  and  the  servant 
was  kind  enough  to  let  me  look  through  the 
window  at  their  Sabbath,  the  man  who  was  to 
be  my  husband  in  a  few  days.  I  was  obliged 
to  do  this  very  secretly,  for  if  any  one  dis- 
covered that  I  dared  do  such  a  thing  I  would 
have  been  pointed  out  as  a  bold  and  forward 
character.  After  I  had  seen  the  Sabbath,  I 
hurried  home.  Yeshiva  backers  all  looked 
disgustingly  alike  to  me,  but  what  could  I  do 
but  cry  again.  I  cried  all  night  and  most  of 
the  next  day  ;  so  in  the  morning  my  eyes  were 
swollen  from  weeping.  My  mother  was  well 
pleased,  however,  for  she  remarked  to  the 
other  women  in  the  house  : 

"  Minke  has  got  good  sense.  She  has  been 
crying  all  night,  and  her  eyes  are  all  swollen. 
Oh  !  she  will  make  a  fine  kalo  !  She  is  cry- 


Minna. 

ing  all  the  time.  Why,  if  she  were  eighteen 
she  could  not  cry  any  more." 

I  listened  as  my  mother  talked  with  the  wo- 
men regarding  the  arrangements  for  the  wed- 
ding. They  decided  unhesitatingly  that  the 
ceremony  should  be  carried  out  to  its  fullest 
extent,  without  any  consideration  for  my 
youth ; — I  was  only  thirteen.  Overwhelmed 
with  a  sense  of  approaching  calamity  I  ran  to 
the  next  house,  to  the  postmaster's  wife,  who 
had  married  a  Christian,  and,  throwing  my 
arms  about  her  neck,  cried  most  bitterly. 

"Well,  my  girl,"  she  said,  "you  will  not 
listen  to  me,  how  can  I  help  you  ?" 

I  kissed  her  passionately.  "No,  no,"  I 
cried,  "  I  must  not,  I  must  not !  "  and  ran 
back  to  my  mother's  house,  determined  to 
wait  and  see  what  the  future  might  bring  forth. 

My  mother  met  me  at  the  door.  "  The  day 
before  her  wedding,"  she  screamed,  "  a  kalo 
runs  around  ?  And  where  were  you  ?  At  the 
postmistress's  ?  Na,  thank  God,  I  will  soon  be 
rid  of  the  zorus  (trouble)  !  Did  you  go  to 
complain  to  the  Christians  that  something 

does  not  suit  you  ?     Poor  yeshiva  backer,"  she 

74 


The  Wedding. 

continued,  "if  he  knew  what  he  is  getting  he 
would  himself  hang.  Nobody  knows  what  I 
held  out  with  such  a  drab  (lazy,  shiftless  girl). 
I  tell  you  again  your  complaining  will  not  help 
you.  You  are  mine,  not  the  postmistress's. 
All  diseases  from  all  the  Jews  of  this  town  on 
her  ! " 

Having  spent  something  of  her  wrath  upon 
the  postmistress,  she  turned  upon  me  again, 
but  in  a  lower  tone. 

"  Gott  in  Himmel !  "  she  said,  "  Go  and 
get  dressed.  It  is  late.  You  don't  need  to 
wait  till  it's  dark  to  go  to  the  mikvoh.  If  you 
are  old  enough  to  be  ashamed,  you  are  old 
enough  to  go  by  daylight.  I  cannot  spend  all 
night  there  and  I  have  nobody  to  help  me  with 
the  work.  You  are  a  geswollene  kalo  (swelled- 
up  bride),  but  I  have  to  do  all  the  work  my- 
self. I  want  to  get  through  early  ;  there  is 
such  a  lot  of  work  to  do  for  your  farslepenes 
(a  slang  word  for  wedding).  And  the  thanks 
I  am  getting  !  " 

There  seemed  to  be  no  end  to  her  vitupera- 
tions, for  again  her  wrath  burst  forth  in  a 

scream. 

75 


Minna. 

"  Another  day  and  I  will  be  rid  of  you.  It 
is  a  shame  and  a  sin  to  bury  a  young  rabbi 
with  such  a  beast  !  Go  and  get  dressed  or  I 
will  hand  you  a  couple  of  slaps  that  your  eyes 
will  go  over.  I  will  give  them  to  you  right 
now  and  I  will  give  them  to  you  after  you  are 
married." 

With  this  burst  her  wrath  was  apparently 
expended.  I  went  to  the  bath  where  the  cer- 
emony of  the  mikvoh,  with  all  its  insulting  de- 
tails, was  thoroughly  carried  out.  On  my  re- 
turn my  mother  placed  a  locket  and  chain 
around  my  neck,  saying  as  she  did  so  : 
"  There,  no  one  can  say  I  failed  to  keep  my 
word." 

The  next  day  I  was  married  and  went 
through  the  humiliating  torture  every  whit. 
In  the  morning  when  I  arose  I  did  not  cry.  I 
took  a  slice  of  bread  and  a  cup  of  coffee  for 
my  breakfast,  but  my  mother  sprang  forward 
and  knocked  them  from  my  hands. 

"What!  Eating  to-day!"  she  shouted. 
"  Are  you  crazy  ?  Na  !  What  do  you  think 
of  that  ? "  she  screamed  to  the  curiosity 

seekers  who  fill  the  home  of  the  bride  from 

76 


The  Wedding. 

early  morning  till  the  wedding  begins.  "  If 
the  choson  finds  it  out  he  will  never  go  to  the 
huppa  (wedding  canopy.)  Na  !  What  does 
she  need  to  fast  for  a  happy  married  life  ? 
She  plagues  me  now,  she  will  plague  him  after 
she  is  married." 

Turning  upon  me,  she  shook  her  fist  in  my 
face.  "  I  will  lay  you  in  the  earth  if  you  will 
not  behave  after  the  wedding  and  will  make 
him  ashamed.  '  I  will  have  an  early  wedding," 
I  said.  I  intended  to  make  a  short  day  for  you. 
1  Na  ! '  I  said  to  myself,  '  she  is  young,  I  will 
get  through  with  the  wedding  early  and  she 
will  not  have  to  fast  so  late  at  night.'  But 
now,  a  disease,  a  plague  on  you  !  I  will  tell  the 
tukerke,  and  the  shammeste  to  give  you  a  wed- 
ding day  to-day  that  you  will  not  forget  as  long 
as  you  live." 

She  kept  her  word. 

My  black  silk  dress  was  large  enough  to  fit 
a  woman  at  least  a  foot  taller  than  I  ;  and  she 
might  have  been  comfortable  in  it  were  she 
double  my  weight.  I  was  only  a  child  after 
all  and  protested.  It  dragged  and  hung  on 

me. 

77 


Minna. 

"  Na !  What  do  you  think  of  such  a 
trouble  ?"  exclaimed  my  mother  to  the  other 
women.  "  See  !  See  for  yourself !  That  is 
the  thanks  I  receive.  I  spared  no  expense.  I 
knew  she  will  grow  yet,  so  I  made  it  to  last  her 
lifetime.  Na  !  Gott  !  I  wish  it  was  not  so 
late,  I  would  break  your  bones,  my  kalo,  that 
I  would  have  to  wrap  you  in  rags  instead  of  a 
silk  dress." 

Amid  a  torrent  of  such  promises,  I  was 
finally  dressed  and  hurried  to  the  wedding- 
room.  The  room  was  large  and  stripped  of 
all  furniture  except  a  few  chairs  placed  along 
the  walls.  Only  a  few  children  had  arrived, 
who  stood  gaping  at  me  and  the  two  old  wo- 
men who  accompanied  me.  Oh,  how  lonely 
I  felt  !  How  desolated  the  whole  world 
looked  to  me  ! 

The  musicians  had  already  arrived  and  be- 
gun to  play.  I  felt  as  though  some  Great 
Judge  had  condemned  me  alive  in  a  coffin  and 
a  funeral  march  was  whining  an  accompani- 
ment for  my  progress  into  hell.  My  mother 
had  said  I  was  wicked,  and  I  was  reconciled 

to  this  change. 

78 


The  Wedding. 

Through  the  whole  inhuman  performance, 
even  when  my  hair,  the  only  decoration  I 
ever  possessed,  was  clipped,  I  did  not  know, 
I  did  not  feel.  Everything  passed  by  me  ;  I 
was  as  though  in  a  trance.  Finally  they  led 
me  to  the  synagogue.  No  innocent  man  or 
desperate  criminal  everxfaced  the  gallows  with 
greater  fright  than  I  my  wedding  canopy.  I 
hated  the  yeshiva  backers,  I  was  lost ; — the 
wedding  ring  was  on  my  ringer. 

The  whole  procession  returned,  singing  and 
dancing,  to  the  house.  There,  not  the  least  of 
my  tortures  was  the  wedding-present  dance. 
They  pushed  me,  they  whirled  me  and  humil- 
iated me,  until  some  women,  more  compas- 
sionate than  the  others,  called  out :  "  Enough, 
enough  !  Take  the  bride  to  the  bridal  cham- 
ber, she  is  only  a  child  after  all." 

A  crowd  of  married  women  followed  ;  nor 
did  they  leave  me  to  rest  until  I  had  fallen  in 
a  stupor  in  my  bed,  clipped  and  shorn,  tor- 
tured, plagued  and  torn.  I  lay  for  a  time 
listening  to  the  insatiable  wolves  as  they 
plagued  him  in  the  next  room.  Him  ?  Who 

is  he  ?     God  knew,  but  I  did  not. 

79 


Minna. 

Tired  with  weeping,  I  fell  asleep. 

At  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  after  my 
wedding,  while  my  husband  was  sleeping 
soundly,  I  opened  the  window  carefully, 
climbed  out  quietly  and  clambered  over  the 
high  fence  into  the  postmaster's  garden.  I 
gently  tapped  on  the  window,  and  to  my  sur- 
prise, the  postmaster  himself  opened  it  and 
called  out : 

"Wait,  Minna  ;  I  will  open  the  door  for  you 
in  a  moment." 

He  came  out  and  taking  me  by  the  hand  led 
me  into  his  wife's  apartment.  "  Here  is 
Minna  ;"  he  said,  "  do  all  you  can  for  her.  I 
will  go  out  and  quiet  the  dogs." 

Like  an  affectionate  sister,  the  woman  em- 
braced me  and  taking  me  in  her  arms,  laid  me 
gently  in  her  bed  and  covered  me  up,  for  I 
was  shivering  from  cold  and  fear. 

"  Why,  Minna,  what  is  that  you  have  round 
your  neck  ? "  she  asked. 

"  Nothing,"  I  answered,  "  except  a  little 
chain  and  locket  that  my  mother  put  there 
when  I  came  from  the  bath." 

11  Does  it  open  ?  "  she  asked. 
80 


The  Wedding. 

"  Really,  I  don't  know,"  I  answered. 

"Perhaps  it  does,  let  me  see.  It  may  pos- 
sibly contain  something  of  value  to  you." 

I  unfastened  the  locket  and  handed  it  to  her. 
She  examined  it  carefully  and  said,  "  It  seems 
to  be  solid,  still,  I  think  it  may  be  opened. 
Wait,  we  will  see." 

She  tapped  on  the  window  and  beckoned  to 
her  husband.  As  he  entered  the  room,  she 
exclaimed,  "  Don't  you  think  this  could  be 
opened  ?  Try  it." 

He  took  his  pocket-knife  and,  after  fumbling 
with  the  locket  a  moment  or  so,  got  it  open, 
and  to  my  surprise  revealed  a  fine,  silky,  neatly 
folded  paper.  Opening  it,  he  handed  it  to 
his  wife.  "  It  is  written  in  Hebrew,"  he  said, 
"you  had  better  read  it."  I  sat  up  in  bed  and 
looked  at  them,  I  could  not  comprehend  what 
was  going  on  around  me. 

"Wait,  child,"  said  the  postmistress.  "We 
must  first  find  out  what  this  sheet  of  paper 
says,  then  I  may  be  able  to  tell  you  some- 
thing," and  she  read  as  follows  : 


My  dear  child  ; — Your  birth  is  a  secret.     I,  your  mother, 
6  81 


Minna. 

am  writing  these  lines  while  holding  you  in  my  arm,  close  to 
my  breast.  My  poor  infant,  you  are  the  child  of  the  man  I 
love  dearly.  Those  fanatics,  my  religious  parents,  are  going 
to  tear  you  away  from  me  in  a  few  moments.  One  more  kiss, 
and  one  more  glance  at  your  beautiful  face.  It  is  not  you 
alone,  my  child,  that  they  are  separating  from  me,  it  is  the 
very  life  they  are  tearing  out  of  my  poor  sick  body.  I  would 
be  willing  to  live  among  these  peasants  and  raise  you,  my  dar- 
ling, as  a  mother  should  bring  up  her  child,  if  only  I  might 
keep  you  next  my  sore  heart,  as  that  alone  is  the  only  balm  for 
my  wounded  soul.  But  no  !  no !  My  pleadings  are  of  no 
avail,  and  they  will  soon  take  you  away  from  me.  So  in  the 
greatest  haste  I  must  tell  you  that  your  father  was  of  noble 
birth  and  a  Christian,  while  I  am  a  Jewess.  Love  your  mother, 
my  child,  and  have  pity.  It  is  not  my  fault  that  we  are  sepa- 
rated. May  God  help  and  protect  you,  for  I  swear  to  you  that 
I  shall  never  be  the  mother  of  another  child,  nor  the  wife  of 
another  man," 

The  signature  had  been  written  in  such 
haste,  that  it  was  impossible  to  decipher  it. 
For  a  moment  we  looked  at  each  other.  The 
postmistress  came  over  and  kissed  me,  while 
her  husband  quietly  left  the  room. 

"  My  child,"  she  said,  "  now  will  you  listen 
to  me  ?  There  has  always  been  a  rumor  in 
town  that  you  were  not  of  the  people  you 
lived  with.  Since  this  is  clear,  do  you  propose 
remaining  with  them  ?  Are  you  going  to  con- 
tinue your  life  with  the  man  to  whom  you  were 

married  yesterday  ? " 

82 


The  Wedding. 

"  It  is  too  late,  too  late  !  "  I  said.  "  God 
knows  it  was  not  my  wish  to  be  married,  and 
to  a  yeshiva  backer.  It  was  my  pretended 
parents  and  the  customs  of  their  people  that 
forced  me  into  it.  Woe  to  me,  woe  to  me,  my 
dear  friend  !  Would  I  had  listened  to  you 
sooner  !  Now,— now  I  am  lost,  and  lost  for- 
ever ! " 

"  You  are  not  lost.  You  must  not  talk  so, 
my  child.  The  Lord  knows  your  innocent 
suffering  and  will  help  you.  He  will  send 
some  kind  people  who  will  befriend  you. 
But  first  of  all  you  must  leave  here  as  soon  as 
possible.  It  is  not  too  late.  You  must  go  at 
once." 

"But  what  will  the  people  say  ?"  I  asked. 

11  You  have  nothing  to  fear.  You  are  law- 
fully married  and  the  whole  town  is  witness  to 
that." 

Sobbing,  I  could  only  reply,  "  I  will  do  all 
you  tell  me.  God  help  me  !  Oh,  my  poor 
mother,  how  she  must  have  suffered  !  " 

The  postmistress  took  up  a  whistle  and  blew 
several  blasts.  Leaning  out  of  the  window  she 

called,  "John,  John  !  " 

83 


Minna. 

"  Yes,"  her  husband  replied,  "  John  is  here, 
we  are  ready." 

His  wife  went  to  the  wardrobe,  took  out 
linen  and  clothes  and  dressed  me,  as  if  I  had 
been  an  infant.  I  was  helpless,  and  realized 
that  I  was  alone  in  the  world.  What  was  I  to 
do,  and  where  was  I  going  ?  I  am  married, 
but  I  leave  my  husband  behind — a  man  to 
whom  I  have  never  spoken.  Perhaps  he,  poor 
man,  may  have  to  suffer  disgrace  in  the  morn- 
ing, when  the  ignorant  Jews  learn  of  my  flight. 
He  alone  must  pay  the  penalty  and  bear  the 
shame.  But  I— I  must  go  !  If  I  can  only  find 
my  mother,  or  my  father  !  Who,  indeed,  are 
they  ?  And  who  am  I  ? 

"  It  is  queer,"  the  postmistress  said  while 
she  was  dressing  me,  "  that  my  husband  can 
go  simply  by  his  instinct  and  seldom  make  a 
mistake.  From  the  day  you  were  engaged 
until  now,  I  could  see  that  man  suffer  as  if  he 
were  your  own  father.  I  think  it  would  have 
taken  only  a  word  last  night  to  make  him  call 
all  the  surrounding  peasants  and  take  you  by 
force  from  that  wedding  room.  He  never 

laid  his  head  on  a  pillow.     He  sat  here  on  this 

84 


The  Wedding. 

chair  by  the  window  all  night ;  and  when  I 
asked  him  why  he  did  not  retire,  his  answer 
was,  '  She  will  be  here  soon  ;  that  is  as  far  as 
they  can  go  with  her.'  He  was  not  a  bit  sur- 
prised when  he  heard  the  dogs  bark. 

"Those  Jews  hate  him  because  he  is  a 
Christian  and  married  a  Jewess  "  she  went  on  ; 
"  but  if  they  only  knew  it,  my  husband  is  the 
best  friend  they  have  in  town.  When  he  is 
cross  with  them  it  is  only  because  he  cannot 
bear  their  old  superstition  and  fanaticism. 
But,  my  dear,  don't  worry.  My  husband  is  a 
good  man  and  he  will  help  you  out  of  this 
place.  Do  everything  just  as  he  tells  you  and 
you  will  be  all  right." 

So,  dressed  in  the  postmistress'  clothes,  I 
kissed  her  good-by  and  started  with  her  hus- 
band on  my  journey  to  Hamburg  where  her 
sister  lived,  it  being  decided  that  I  should  go 
as  far  as  possible  from  my  husband  and  his 
family.  The  postmistress,  having  married  a 
Christian,  was  hated  by  the  Jews  in  town  ;  nor, 
indeed,  had  she  been  wholly  forgiven  by  her 
sister  who  had  married  a  Hamburg  citizen  of 

her  own  faith. 

85 


CHAPTER  VI. 

AT  HAMBURG. 

THE  postmaster  accompanied  me  all  the  way 
to  Hamburg  and  took  me  to  the  home  of  his 
sister-in-law.  A  cold  chill  passed  over  me 
when  I  saw  how  displeased  she  was  at  the 
visit  of  her  Christian  relative.  When  she  was 
made  aware  of  his  errand  she  at  first  refused 
absolutely  to  admit  me  to  her  house  ;  but 
when  the  postmaster  explained  that  there  were 
no  parents  who  would  seek  me  or  bother  her, 
she  consented  to  let  me  stay  if  I  would  do  the 
housework. 

"  Of  course  I  cannot  pay  her  anything,"  she 
said,  "  but  I  will  give  her  a  home  as  long  as 
possible.  You  know  the  law  in  Hamburg,  that 
Russian  Jews  cannot  live  here." 

Being  assured  that  I  would  at  least  have  a 
home,  and  knowing  he  could  do  no  better  for 
me,  the  postmaster  finally  left  for  his  journey 

home.     When  he  had  gone  I  could  not  speak 

86 


At  Hamburg. 

from  crying.  He  was  the  only  friend  I  had  on 
earth  except  his  wife,  but  they  in  my  estima- 
tion were  one.  I  could  not  bear  the  thought 
of  being  separated  from  them  and  left  alone. 

Finally,  Frau  Nathanson  led  me  to  my  room. 
I  froze  to  the  ground  when  I  entered.  It  was 
absolutely  without  a v  window  and  dark  and 
damp.  It  was  filled  with  trunks  and  baskets. 
In  one  corner  lay  a  pile  of  soiled  linen,  and  in 
another  was  an  old  couch  with  a  dirty  mat- 
tress on  which  lay  a  servant — an  ignorant,  oily, 
greasy  Polak.  My  mistress  informed  me  that 
this  servant  was  about  to  emigrate  to  America 
and  that  I  would  take  her  place. 

I  slaved  for  this  woman  for  months  as  a  serv- 
ant, working  early  and  late,  with  only  a  damp 
and  dirty  room  to  go  to  as  a  refuge  after  my 
daily  toil.  Time  dragged  slowly  until  one  day 
a  new  dilemma  presented  itself — /  was  about 
to  become  a  mother. 

My  mistress  made  the  discovery  and  ex- 
plained it  to  me.  I  could  not  comprehend  all 
she  told  me,  but  having  no  one  else  to  turn  to 
in  my  difficulty  I  was  compelled  to  rely  upon 

her  for  advice.     She  rose  to  the  occasion  with 

87 


Minna. 

a  philosophic  calm  to  which  I  had  previously 
thought  her  a  stranger  :  and  after  a  time  suc- 
ceeded in  having  me  admitted  as  a  charity 
patient  in  one  of  the  Hamburg  hospitals. 

And  fortunate  it  was  that  she  did.  The 
watchful  care  and  kind  attention  bestowed 
upon  me  made  that  place  seem  as  an  oasis 
to  a  tired  traveler,  especially  to  me  who  had 
suffered  so  much  at  the  hands  of  my  people 
and  slaved  so  long  at  domestic  drudgery.  An 
American  doctor  who  was  "walking"  the 
Hamburg  hospitals  as  a  part  of  his  foreign 
medical  education,  heard  the  story  of  my  en- 
forced marriage  and  sudden  flight  and  "  ad- 
mired my  courage,"  no  less  than  he  pitied 
my  condition.  He  devoted  his  skill  and 
attention  to  the  "  Little  Jewish  Madonna " 
and  it  was  to  him  that  I  and  my  child  owed 
our  lives. 

Yet  there  seems  to  be  some  strange  fatality 
in  the  lives  of  some  of  us,  that  withholds  the 
full  enjoyment  of  perfect  peace  ;  and  I  was 
destined  soon  to  waken  from  my  dream  to 
find  that  again  I  must  go  out  into  the  world. 

One  morning  I  was  seated  before  the  win- 


At  Hamburg. 

dow  in  an  easy-chair,  dressed  in  a  pretty  tea- 
gown.  The  nurse  was  dressing  my  baby  near 
by,  and  turning  to  me  rather  abruptly,  she 
asked : 

"  What  have  you  decided  to  do  ?  Are  you 
going  to  keep  the  little  fellow,  or  do  you  in- 
tend to  give  him  away  r  " 

"  I  am  going  to  keep  my  child,"  I  replied 
quickly,  "  and  if  you  will  have  the  kindness 
to  write  a  few  words  to  the  woman  for  whom 
I  worked,  and  ask  her  to  call  for  me,  I  would 
be  very  grateful  to  you." 

"You  headstrong  little  vixen!"  said  the 
nurse.  "  Aren't  you  going  to  take  my  advice  ? 
The  doctor  from  America  is  in  love  with  you. 
He  is  a  fine  man  and  wants  to  send  you  to 
his  mother  in  America.  He  will  have  you 
educated  and  will  marry  you,  I  am  sure. 
You  could  keep  your  boy  then  and  he  will  be 
well  provided  for." 

"  I  cannot  marry  him  because  I  am  already 
married." 

The  nurse  turned  away  for  a  moment  and 
laughed  : 

11  Yes  ;  so  the  people  say  where  you  worked," 
89 


Minna. 

she  said.  "  Dr.  Leiter  has  been  to  see  them 
several  times.  You  foolish  woman  !  I  assure 
you  that  many  girls  in  Hamburg  would  be 
proud  of  the  offer.  Those  American  doctors 
are  rich  and  good-hearted,  too.  I  am  afraid 
you  will  be  sorry  some  day.  How  beautifully 
you  could  raise  your  boy  in  such  circum- 
stances. You  are  foolish.  Take  my  advice 
and  go  to  America." 

"  Will  you  please  write  the  letter  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  If  it  cannot  be  otherwise  I  will  write  it, 
but  to  my  greatest  regret.  I  would  like  to  see 
you  happy  with  the  Doctor." 

The  letter  was  finally  sent  ;  but  when  my 
nurse  returned,  she  again  took  up  the  subject. 

"  Don't  you  think  you  are  acting  ungrate- 
fully in  leaving  before  Doctor  Leiter  comes  ?  " 
she  asked.  "  I  think  you  ought  to  wait  until  he 
arrives.  Just  think  what  he  has  done  for  you  ! 
Why,  he  has  provided  the  finest  private  room 
in  this  hospital  for  you,  and  if  it  were  not  for 
the  very  best  of  wines  which  he  procured 
specially  for  you,  I  am  certain  that  you  would 
not  now  be  on  your  feet.  You've  been  very 

ill.     Those  beautiful   flowers  that  arrived  for 

90 


At  Hamburg. 

you  every  day  cost  a  great  deal.  And  are  you 
not  even  going  to  thank  him  for  all  that  ?" 

"  Why  has  Dr.  Leiter  done  all  this  for 
me  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Do  you  suppose  the  hospital  cares  for  all 
their  charity  patients  as  you  have  been 
treated  ?  "  she  replied*,  "  Do  you  think  they 
provide  the  lace  dresses  your  baby  wears  ? " 

"  Why,  I  supposed  the  woman  for  whom  I 
have  been  working  provided  them  for  me." 

11  The  woman  for  whom  you  worked  ? 
Hmm,  very  likely.  You  would  not  have  been 
here  so  long  had  you  been  dependent  upon 
her.  Dr.  Leiter  has  done  all  this  for  you." 

"Well,  Dr.  Leiter  had  no  right  to  do  it 
without  first  speaking  to  me,"  I  said  warmly. 
"  I  am  a  poor  girl  and  unable  to  repay  him  for 
all  his  kindness.  I  intend  to  go  away,  and 
right  now,  too,  and  without  seeing  him  ;  so 
please  give  me  the  old  clothes  I  came  in.  I 
shall  not  wait  for  my  mistress  to  come  for 
me." 

"  You  cannot  leave  this  hospital  without 
your  discharge, "  the  nurse  informed  me  ; 

"  and    you    do    not  need  to  wear    those  old 

91 


Minna. 

clothes.  You  should  see  the  beautiful  dresses 
Dr.  Leiter  has  purchased  for  you." 

"  Did  you  not  say  you  are  my  nurse  and  to 
wait  on  me  only  ? " 

'  Yes.  I  am  to  wait  on  you  only — for  Dr. 
Leiter  pays  for  it  all." 

"  Then  do  as  I  tell  you.  Go  to  the  super- 
intendent and  ask  for  my  discharge  ;  also 
bring  my  clothes — the  old  ones  I  arrived  in. 
Please  don't  stand  there  and  look  at  me  in 
that  manner,  but  go  and  do  as  I  say.  I  wish 
you  would  get  ready  also  and  accompany  me 
to  the  house." 

Seeing  that  further  remonstrance  was  use- 
less, the  nurse  left  me.  I  look  my  baby  in  my 
arms  and  kissed  him  passionately.  I  talked 
wildly  to  him  as  if  he  could  understand. 

"  My  darling,"  I  sobbed,  "  if  I  refuse  a 
grand  home  it  is  because  I  am  young  and 
strong  and  can  work  hard  to  provide  a  home 
for  you  by  honest  labor.  I  am  your  mother 
and  ready  to  make  any  sacrifice  for  your  sake. 
Forgive  me,  forgive  me,  if  I  am  doing  wrong." 

My  boy  gave  me  a  little  smile  in  response. 

It  was  his  first  smile  and  I,  his  young  mother, 

92 


At  Hamburg. 

imagined  that  he  really  understood  all  I  had 
said.  Poor,  ignorant  girl  though  I  was,  I  felt 
I  could  face  the  whole  world  and  conquer  it  in 
the  power  of  that  smile. 

It  was  hard  to  leave  a  place  where  so  much 
kindness  had  been  shown  me, — such  kindness 
as  I  had  never  knowir  in  my  life  ;  but  there 
was  that  within  me  which  bade  me  go  back  to 
my  place  and  leave  this  doctor  who  rilled  me 
with  an  overwhelming  sense  of  gratitude,  but 
whose  love  I  felt  I  could  not  return.  In  a  few 
minutes  the  nurse  came  back  with  my  dis- 
charge. Dressing  quickly,  I  pressed  my  dar- 
ling boy  to  my  breast  and  was  soon  threading 
my  way  back  to  Frau  Nathanson's  to  take  up 
my  old  labors. 

As  the  months  rolled  by  and  I  grew  in  wis- 
dom and  knowledge  of  the  world,  I  came  to 
realize  that  I  was  not  where  I  should  be  ;  that 
the  life  I  was  leading  held  no  future  for  me  or 
my  boy.  He  was  growing  rapidly  and  my 
constant  thought  was  for  his  future  welfare  ; 
but  when  I  saw  how  affectionately  the  family 
treated  him,  including  Frau  Nathanson,  I  half 

determined    to  continue  my   slavery  for  his 

93 


Minna. 

sake.     I   knew  they  loved   him.     He  had  a 
home.     To  go  away  might  be  to  fare  worse. 

So,  torn  between  the  desire  to  make  things 
better  and  the  fear  that  they  might  be  worse,  I 
worked  on  in  my  indecision  until  one  morning 
I  came  downstairs  and  confronted  a  constable 
who  had  handed  a  paper  to  Frau  Nathanson 
and  another  to  me.  We  knew  only  too  well 
what  its  purport  was — another  summons  to 
court  for  her  and  more  trouble  for  me. 

"  This  is  becoming  serious,  my  child,"  said 
Frau  Nathanson,  "  and  I  am  afraid  you  will 
have  to  leave.  I  really  do  not  know  where  I 
can  send  you.  We  have  avoided  this  as  long 
as  possible,  and  Herr  Nathanson  has  spent 
much  money  to  conceal  your  whereabouts 
from  the  police.  Some  one  has  big  eyes  and 
finds  nothing  else  to  do  but  make  reports.  I 
am  sure  there  is  nothing  dummer  than  the 
police  in  Hamburg  ;  and  you  might  have  been 
here  for  ten  years,  they  would  never  have  no- 
ticed you.  But  there  are  all  kinds  of  people, 
and  why  they  should  report  you,  I  am  unable 
to  comprehend. 

"  At  any  rate,"  she  went  on,  "  don't  worry  ; 

94 


At  Hamburg. 

we  won't  set  you  out  in  the  street.  I  will  talk 
it  over  with  Herr  Nathanson.  I  think  that 
London  would  be  the  most  advisable  place  for 
you  to  go.  He  has  acquaintances  there  and 
he  will  try  to  locate  them  for  you.  I  am  sure 
that  when  he  promises  the  court  you  will 
leave,  they  will  grant  you  a  few  days  to  pre- 
pare for  the  journey.  You  had  better  go  and 
look  up  your  child's  clothes  and  get  your  own 
in  shape.  You  don't  know  how  we  will  miss 
the  boy.  We  have  learned  to  love  him  as  our 
own.  Poor  Dafit !  " 

I  could  not  speak.  I  went  upstairs  and 
looked  at  my  baby  who  lay  asleep  and  little 
dreamed  how  homeless  he  was. 

"  Yes,  darling,  we  must  go,"  I  said  aloud. 
11  And  why — I  don't  know.  What  harm  have 
I  done  here  in  this  city  of  Hamburg  ?  I 
slaved  that  I  might  have  a  home  for  you.  I 
received  no  money — I  worked  very  hard.  I 
did  not  complain  when  I  found  no  time  dur- 
ing the  day  to  devote  to  you,  my  poor  child. 
I  had  a  home — such  as  it  was.  The  people 
were  good  to  you  ;  now  I  must  go.  And  why  ? 

/  am  a  Jewess.     Oh,  my  God,  mother  !     Is  it 

95 


Minna. 

possible  that  this  was  all  you  could  give  me — 
the  name  Jewess  ?  Is  that  the  only  blessing 
your  motherly  sympathy  could  bestow  upon 
me  ? 

'Yes,  I  am  a  Jewess, — a  hunted  Jewess. 
In  Russia  the  Jews  have  no  home.  I  have  less 
than  any  of  them.  They  are  persecuted  and  I 
am  abused  and  humiliated.  Here  in  Ham- 
burg, because  I  am  a  Jewess,  I  am  not  allowed 
to  stay.  The  law  forbids  a  Russian  Jewess  to 
reside  in  Hamburg  !  Where  shall  I  go  !  I  do 
not  know. 

"  Oh,  mother  !  "  I  cried.  "  You  said  in  your 
letter  that  my  father  was  a  Christian  and  of 
noble  birth.  Where  is  he  now  when  his  child 
is  in  great  need  ?  Were  I  alone  it  might  not 
be  so  hard  ;  but  with  my  dear  boy  !  Where 
shall  I  turn  ?  Where  shall  I  go  and  what 
shall  I  do  in  the  future  ?  Law  ?  Yes,  law ! 
What  is  the  law  ?  And  who  has  made  it  ? 
And  what  kind  of  men  can  they  be  who 
make  such  laws  that  drive  a  lonely  girl  with  an 
infant  from  her  home  ?  Shame  to  such  a 
country — that  produces  and  enforces  such 

laws!" 

96 


At  Hamburg. 

My  boy  opened  his  eyes  ;  and  when  he  saw 
me  weeping,  he  arose  in  his  bed,  and  putting 
his  chubby  arms  about  my  neck  kissed  me  and 
cried  with  me. 

The  next  day,  when  Herr  Nathanson  re- 
turned from  court,  he  brought  strict  orders 
that  I  must  be  gone  within  twenty-four  hours, 
or  he  would  be  heavily  fined  and  I  would  be 
sent  back  to  Russia.  So  in  the  evening  Frau 
Nathanson  took  me  to  the  steamer  and  bade 
me  farewell,  giving  me  a  letter  of  recommenda- 
tion to  a  Jewish  family  in  the  Ghetto  of 
London. 

After  a  stormy  voyage,  we  landed  safely  on  a 
dark  and  foggy  day.  A  stranger  in  a  strange 
land,  a  baby  in  my  arms,  I  eventually  reached 
the  house  of  the  Jewish  family  in  Petticoat 
Lane  to  whom  my  letter  of  recommendation 
was  addressed.  Although  very  poor  they  re- 
ceived me  with  the  friendly  courtesy  peculiar 
to  their  race  and  bustled  about  to  make  a  place 
for  the  "  veibele  (little  woman)  and  her  baby." 

In  the  evening  we  sat  down  to  partake  of  a 
frugal  meal.  Little  by  little  their  kindly  ques- 
tionings drew  from  me  the  story  of  my  expe- 
7  97 


Minna. 

riences  from  the  day  when  the  man  I  had  al- 
ways called  "  father"  came  in  with  the  never- 
to-be  forgotten  words:  "Masiltof,  Minke ! 
You  are  a  kalo  and  to  ayeshiva  backer  !"  My 
new  found  friends  listened  to  the  story  and 
cheered  me  with  assurances  that  I  would  soon 
be  able  to  earn  a  guinea  a  week  in  the  shops. 
Under  the  influence  of  their  friendly  chatter, 
I  came  to  feel  that  the  sun  was  at  last  begin- 
ning to  shine,  and  the  clouds  which  had  low- 
ered about  me  all  the  days  of  my  life  were  be- 
ginning to  lift. 

Bed-time  came  at  last  and  I  lay  down  beside 
my  boy  and  fell  asleep  to  dream  of  sunshine 
and  flowers  and  peace. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

FROM  PILLVAR  TO  POST. 

BUT  the  rude  awakening  from  my  dream  of 
sunshine  and  peace  came  almost  with  the 
dawn  ;  for  it  is  always  the  unexpected  that 
happens,  and  in  my  life  at  least  that  unexpected 
seemed  always  to  happen  ahead  of  time. 
Hardly  had  I  descended  from  the  tiny  and  illy- 
ventilated  room  where  my  new-found  friends 
had  made  a  place  for  me  and  my  baby  to  sleep, 
when  the  hard  hand  of  Fate  was  again  laid 
heavily  upon  me.  There  before  my  very  eyes 
was  the  only  mother  I  had  ever  known,  rush- 
ing toward  me,  waving  her  arms  frantically 
and  screaming  in  Hebrew  at  the  top  of  her 
voice  : 

"  Ah !  There  you  are  !  So  you're  the  nice 
veibele  with  the  dear  little  boy  that  everybody 

saw  come  here  yesterday !     Na !     If  they  only 

99 


Minna. 

knew  you  as  well  as  I  do,  they  would  sing 
another  song  in  the  Lane  about  you  soon." 

Her  screaming  brought  the  family  from  the 
next  room  ;  and  turning  to  them,  my  pretended 
mother  continued,  still  screaming  : 

"  This  is  the  beautiful  daughter  I  have  been 
telling  you  about,  who  ran  away  from  us  and 
brought  all  the  trouble  that  drove  us  out  of 
Russia.  That's  the  one.  What  do  you  say  to 
that? 

She  apparently  expected  no  reply  to  her 
question,  for  she  screamed  on,  hardly  stop- 
ping even  to  take  breath. 

"  I  advise  you  that  the  sooner  you  rid  your- 
selves of  her,  the  better  you  will  be  off.  You 
know  her  husband.  Isn't  he  a  fine  man  ?  You 
know  the  young  rabbi  who  comes  to  see  me 
sometimes  ? " 

Through  all  this  tirade  I  could  only  stand 
in  speechless  amazement  with  my  back  against 
the  wall,  terror  freezing  my  blood.  Why  was 
this  woman  there  ?  Where  had  she  come 
from  ?  Was  he  there  too  ?  These  and  a  thousand 
questions  passed  rapidly  through  my  brain. 
Before  I  had  time  to  recover  myself  and  speak 


From  Pillar  to  Post. 

even  a  single  word  in  self-defence,  the  mistress 
of  the  house  addressed  me  sternly  and  solemnly 
in  the  Hebrew  tongue. 

"  If  this  is  the  case,"  she  said,  "  I  am  afraid 
you  will  not  be  able  to  stay  with  us.  We 
thank  God  we  are  honest,  respectable  Jews 
making  ourselves  a  respectable  living.  We 
are  here  already  twelve  years  with  a  clean 
name  and  everybody  knows  us.  My  husband 
belongs  to  a  couple  of  lodges  and  we  are 
members  of  the  synagogue.  We  don't  want 
to  be  mixed  up  in  such  a  business  as  this. 
Ach  !  Phew  !  It  ain't  nice  ! 

"A  young  woman  like  you,"  she  continued, 
"  should  live  with  her  husband.  I  can't  under- 
stand what  you  mean  when  you  say  you  don't 
like  him.  Every  woman  who  is  married 
should  like  her  husband  and  live  with  him  as 
God  has  ordained." 

Having  delivered  herself  of  this  pompous 
speech,  she  left  the  room  with  the  rest  of  the 
family  and  the  woman  who  had  caused  the 
disturbance,  all  of  them  talking  at  once  and 
waving  their  arms  excitedly.  Left  alone,  I 
pressed  my  baby  closer  and  shrank  into  a  cor- 


Minna. 

ner  of  the  room,  overcome  by  this  sudden 
turn  of  affairs  and  trembling  with  apprehension. 
It  was  but  my  second  day  in  London,  alone 
and  a  stranger,  and  I  had  hardly  seen  daylight. 
Where  was  I  to  go  ?  Which  way  should  I 
turn  ?  Where  were  the  sunshine  and  peace 
of  my  dream  ? 

"My  God!  What  shall  I  do?"  I  cried. 
"  In  service  I  will  not  go,  I  have  settled  my 
mind  on  that.  I  must  try  to  do  something  to 
support  my  child.  But  where  shall  I  go  ?  " 

I  knew  the  class  of  people  with  whom  I  had 
to  do  only  too  well.  In  the  Ghetto  of  London 
nothing  takes  place  that  the  neighbors  do  not 
know  of  it.  No  one  goes  in  or  goes  out  with- 
out the  whole  neighborhood  knows  just  where 
she  is  going  and  what  for.  And  so  it  was  that 
my  arrival  as  a  stranger  created  a  stir  among 
the  people  and  caused  the  talk  of  the  "veibele 
and  the  pretty  baby,"  which  brought  my 
mother  down  on  me  so  soon. 

Nor  was  I  by  any  means  sure  that  my 
troubles  ended  when  I  planned  to  leave  these 
people  with  whom  I  had  spent  the  night.  It 
was  very  probable  that  the  angry  woman 


1 02 


From  Pillar  to  Post. 

would  denounce  me  wherever  she  went ;  and 
that  alone  would  prevent  my  securing  employ- 
ment. However,  I  resolved  to  put  my  misgiv- 
ings to  the  test  ;  and  leaving  my  baby  with 
the  strangers  who,  I  well  knew,  would  have  no 
resentment  for  him  since  the  Jews  are  uni- 
versally kind  to  small  children,  I  went  out 
into  the  street. 

All  day  I  walked  down  one  narrow  street  of 
Petticoat  Lane  and  up  another,  hardly  know- 
ing where  my  feet  were  carrying  me.  I  began 
to  realize  more  and  more  that  I  was  alone  in 
the  great  city  of  London  without  a  relative  or 
a  friend. 

Presently  a  woman  came  toward  me,  a 
tailor's  wife,  whom  I  recognized  as  one  of 
the  crowd  present  in  the  morning  when  my 
mother  denounced  me  to  the  Jewish  family. 
I  recalled  that  this  woman  had  taken  no  part 
in  the  discussion  which  followed  the  disgust- 
ing scene  and,  on  the  contrarjr,  appeared  to 
sympathize  with  my  unhappy  plight,  at  least 
as  far  as  her  nature  and  position  among  her 
neighbors  would  allow. 

Her  attitude  toward  this  and   other  things 
103 


Minna. 

was  manifest  in  the  emancipation  of  her  dress. 
She  no  longer  wore  a  wig.  Her  own  hair  was 
smoothly  combed  back  from  her  forehead.  A 
black  satin  quilted  petticoat,  thickly  lined 
and  silk-stitched  all  over  with  gaily  colored 
diamond-shaped  checks,  reached  only  to  her 
ankles.  Her  stockings  hung  in  wrinkles,  and 
her  carpet  slippers,  being  large,  clattered  up 
and  down  over  her  heels,  displaying  at  every 
step  a  good  sized  hole.  A  thick  gold  rope- 
chain  was  wound  several  times  about  her  neck, 
the  ends  concealed  in  her  bodice. 

It  was  eleven  o'clock  Friday  morning,  and 
she  was  just  returning  from  market.  Her 
coarse  white  apron,  tied  with  two  long  strings 
about  her  waist,  was  gathered  up  at  the  cor- 
ners so  as  to  form  a  bag,  in  which  she  carried 
a  fish,  some  onions,  potatoes,  garlic  and  pickles, 
each  separated  from  the  other  by  pieces  of 
newspaper ;  some  schmierkase  (cream  cheese), 
and  butter  that  smelt  so  oily  and  greasy  I  had 
to  turn  my  head  away.  A  large  bottle  of  oil 
for  frying  the  fish,  and  some  half  rotten  pears 
completed  the  contents  of  the  apron. 

As  she  talked  she  would  now  and  again  take 
104 


From  Pillar  to  Post. 

out  one  of  the  little  pears  and  pop  it  into  her 
mouth.  A  large  basket  hung  on  her  arm,  con- 
taining two  loaves  of  bread,  candles  for  the 
Sabbath,  (every  Jewish  woman  must  bless  her 
candles  on  Friday  night),  a  chicken  freshly 
killed  and  plucked,  coffee,  tea,  sugar,  two  or 
three  kinds  of  spices,  and  eggs — all  in  the 
basket.  While  she  was  talking  she  must  have 
upset  a  pot  of  molasses  near  the  bottom,  for  it 
was  dripping  upon  the  ground  apparently  with- 
out her  knowledge. 

My  heart  throbbed  with  joy  ;  for  somehow 
I  felt  that  here  was  one  woman  less  bigoted 
than  the  rest,  one  to  whom  I  could  turn  in  my 
hour  of  need  and  find  some  sympathy  and 
help. 

"  Missus,"  I  said,  "  when  I  saw  you  this 
morning  I  understood  from  your  conversation 
that  your  husband  is  a  tailor.  Would  you 
please  teach  me  how  to  make  button-holes  on 
your  husband's  coats  ?  He  employs  many 
hands  in  his  shop  and  if  you  would  teach  me 
to  make  button-holes,  I  could  pay  you  after- 
wards from  my  wages." 

"  No,"  she  replied,  "  I  have  just  met  your 


Minna. 

mother  again  and  I  think  it  isn't  right  that  you 
don't  want  to  live  with  your  husband.  You 
should  remember  that  he  is  a  rabbi  and  will 
some  day  have  a  place.  You  are  a  young 
woman.  After  your  parents  have  taken  care 
of  your  husband  so  long,  how  can  you  blame 
them  for  being  angry  ?  That's  no  way  to  do 
things.  No  one  will  help  you. 

"  You  see,"  she  went  on,  "  it  is  impossible 
for  me  to  take  you  into  my  house.  I'm  not 
afraid  of  my  husband  leaving  me  ;  still,  you 
know,  it  is  London.  Every  day  you  hear  of 
such  zorus  (trouble).  We  need  a  hand,  we 
could  use  you,  but  I  can't  help  you.  I  don't 
want  to  quarrel  with  your  mother  by  taking 
you.  You  have  made  a  mistake." 

While  she  was  talking  to  me  another  woman 
came  up  with  her  basket  and  bundles,  and 
then  another  and  another,  until  there  was  a 
group  of  four  or  five,  all  from  the  some  neigh- 
borhood, all  talking  loudly  and  analyzing  my 
criminal  behavior. 

11  It  is  dreadful,"  said  one. 

"  It  is  shameful,"  said  another. 

"  I  suppose,"  said  a  third,  "  she  must  have 
1 06 


From  Pillar  to  Post. 

some  other  fellow  in  view,  or  she  wouldn't  run 
about  the  streets  as  she  does,  and  not  want  to 
live  with  such  a  nice  man,  a  rabbi,  a  learned 
man.  A  decent  girl  wouldn't  do  such  things. 
Oh,  no,  thank  you.  I  ?  I  wouldn't  talk  to  her. 
She  thinks  with  her  red  cheeks  she  will  get 
Lord  Mayor  for  her  husband.  Any  woman 
who  takes  her  into  her  shop  is  a  big  fool,  and 
will  regret  it  afterwards.  A  girl  who  can  do 
what  she  has  done  will  run  away  with  any  man 
she  likes  herself  as  quickly  as  she  will  run 
away  from  one  she  doesn't  like  herself.  Oh 
no !  It's  not  the  man's  fault.  It's  such  women 
as  she  who  make  trouble  for  us." 

She  turned  sharply  upon  me.  "  What  are 
you  loafing  around  here  for  ?  Why  don't  you 
go  to  Whitechapel  ?  That's  the  place  for  you." 
And  again  addressing  herself  to  the  crowd, 
which  had  been  steadily  growing  larger,  she 
continued  with  assumed  importance  : 

"  Her  husband  !  Oi !  Vy  !  Such  a  fine 
man  !  I  tell  you  she  will  not  see  him  any 
more.  Na  !  Na  !  I  guess  not  !  He  told  me 
himself  he  would  not  live  with  her.  You  ought 

to  see  the  fine  girl  he  is  getting  !     Why  a  man 

107 


Minna. 

like  him  !  He  is  such  a  fine  man ;  such  a 
learned  man.  Myyunkel  says  he  will  be  one  of 
the  greatest  learned  men  in  London.  Why, 
Dr.  Adler  sent  for  him  twice  and  I  think  he  is  go- 
ing to  be  assistant  for  Dr.  Alder.  The  schinne 
(halo)  rests  upon  him.  He  doesn't  want  her  ! 
Why  should  he  ?  She  has  a  child.  Ach ! 
Nebich  !  Such  a  fine  child  ! " 

"  Did  you  see  him  ? "  asked  one  of  the 
crowd. 

"  No,  I  didn't.  But  I  know.  She  cares  lots 
for  him.  Here  she  loafs  around  and  leaves 
him  with  strangers.  Ach  !  A  mother  ?  Phew ! 
Thank  you."  She  spat  on  the  stones  and 
walked  off  with  a  sneer.  The  crowd  dispersed 
and  left  me  standing  there  speechless. 

"  Do  I  really  belong  to  Whitechapel  ? "  I 
wondered.  Heaven  knew  I  had  no  thought  in 
that  direction,  nor  had  I  any  desire.  All  I 
wanted  was  work  and  an  honest  living.  I 
could  not  understand  what  wrong  I  had  com- 
mitted in  disliking  that  man.  The  very  thought 
of  him  was  repugnant  to  me.  I  was  willing  to 
sign  any  contract, — to  be  a  slave  the  rest  of  my 

life — rather  than  be  obliged  to  live  with  him. 

1 08 


From  Pillar  to  Post. 

Then  the  thought  came  to  me  :  "  I  do  not  have 
to  go  to  Whitechapel  because  those  women  say 
so.  I  will  find  some  tailor  who  will  give  me 
work." 

But  my  search  was  not  an  easy  one,  and  when 
evening  came  I  was  still  without  employment. 
The  shops  were  closed  ^nd  the  men  were  go- 
ing to  shool  (Sabbath  eve  prayer).  The  women 
sat  around  on  chairs,  wearing  clean  aprons, 
their  hair  freshly  combed,  for  their  work  was 
done.  Through  the  windows  I  could  see  the 
tables  set  for  supper  ;  two  twisted  loaves  of 
bread  covered  with  a  crocheted  napkin.  Can- 
dles were  lighted  to  signify  that  the  Sabbath 
had  been  received,  and  that  the  week's  work 
was  finished. 

The  sight  of  these  tables  reminded  me  that 
I  had  had  nothing  to  eat  all  day.  Several  times 
I  had  approached  the  door  of  some  neighbor's 
house  in  the  hope  that  they  would  give  me  and 
my  baby  shelter  over  the  Sabbath ;  but  when 
they  saw  me  coming  they  turned  away,  and  I 
could  plainly  see  in  their  faces  the  horror  they 
had  of  me.  Everybody  seemed  to  know  my 

story,  and  would  not  open  their  doors  to  such 

109 


Minna. 

an  outcast.  It  grew  very  dark  and  I  was  still 
wandering  up  and  down  the  streets.  Oh,  how 
hungry  I  was ! 

At  last  I  reached  the  house  where  I  had 
spent  the  night  ;  and  knowing  they  would  not 
permit  me  to  sleep  again  under  their  roof,  and 
yet  not  willing  to  be  separated  from  my  boy, 
I  stole  softly  up  to  the  room  where  he  lay 
sleeping,  lifted  him  tenderly  in  my  arms  and 
returned  to  the  street.  Up  and  down  I  wan- 
dered, trying  here  and  trying  there  to  find  a 
place  where  the  work  of  my  hands  might 
bring  the  wherewithal  for  a  meal.  But  every- 
where I  went  my  pretended  mother  had  told 
the  story  of  the  runaway  girl  throughout  the 
Ghetto,  and  apparently  took  a  fiendish  delight 
in  making  the  "  cursed  witch  "  suffer  for  be- 
ing the  cause  of  the  trouble  which  she  vowed 
and  declared  was  the  reason  for  her  expulsion 
from  Russia. 

The  fact  of  the  matter  was,  as  I  afterward 
learned,  that  my  pretended  mother  had  so 
conducted  herself  in  denouncing  me  and  de- 
claring to  the  Russian  authorities  that  she  was 
in  no  way  responsible  for  my  disappearance, 


no 


From  Pillar  to  Post. 

that  she  roused  their  suspicions  ;  and  they, 
always  ready  to  prosecute  a  Jew  on  the  slightest 
provocation,  demanded  an  explanation  from 
her.  Beside,  it  was  now  known  in  the  town 
that  the  yeshiva  bocher's  wife  was  not  altogether 
kosher  because  she  had  Christian  blood  in  her  ; 
and,  as  it  had  happened  on  more  than  one  oc- 
casion, that  Jews  have  been  accused  of  using 
Christian  blood  for  the  Feast  of  the  Passover  and 
have  been  brought  to  trial  for  it,  the  yeshiva 
bocherandmy  pretended  parents,  knowing  they 
would  be  unable  to  account  for  me,  determined 
to  forestall  the  authorities  and  depart  for  foreign 
lands.  In  consequence,  they  disposed  of  their 
small  belongings  and  came  to  London,  where, 
once  in  England,  they  were  safe.  And  so  it  was 
that  my  pretended  mother  took  it  upon  her- 
self to  "pay  "  me  for  the  trouble  of  her  own 
making  and  in  turn  became  the  cause  of  my 
trouble  and  homeless  wanderings  in  the  streets 
of  the  Ghetto. 

I  spent  the  night  in  a  yard,  huddled  with 
my  baby  behind  a  pile  of  barrels,  and  awoke 
to  find  that  the  sun  had  risen  upon  the  Jewish 
Sabbath  and  the  shops  were  still  closed.  The 


Minna. 

Jews  were  out  on  the  streets  in  full  force, 
dressed  in  their  best  ;  and  all  who  knew  me 
turned  away  with  contempt.  Had  I  been  the 
worst  woman  on  earth,  they  could  not  have 
insulted  me  more. 

I  wandered  about  until  it  was  almost  even- 
ing. I  had  eaten  nothing  for  two  days,  except 
a  cup  of  coffee  and  a  slice  of  bread  which  a 
woman  gave  me  out  of  pity  for  my  child. 
Weak  and  hungry  I  finally  came  to  the  house 
of  a  widow,  whose  hunchback  daughter  was  a 
button-hole  maker  and  worked  at  home.  I 
promised  to  carry  the  work  back  and  forth  for 
her  if  she  would  teach  me  how  to  make  but- 
ton-holes and  let  me  sleep  in  the  house.  "  Any 
place,  even  the  floor  will  do,"  I  said,  "  until  I 
can  procure  work  of  some  kind  from  one  of 
the  factories." 

Without  waiting  for  an  invitation  I  passed 
from  the  hall  into  the  kitchen,  threw  myself  on 
a  chair  and  cried  bitterly  while  the  widow  and 
her  daughter  looked  on  in  pity. 

"  You  see,"  said  the  mother  in  a  choking 
voice,  "  I  am  very  poor  and  I  can  give  you 
nothing  to  eat.  But  sleep  ?  Of  course  you 


112 


From  Pillar  to  Post. 

and  your  boy  can  sleep  on  the  floor  until  you 
can  find  something  better.  That's  all  I  can 
do  for  you." 

Weary  as  I  was,  I  was  indeed  grateful  for 
even  that  and  I  soon  fell  asleep  with  my  baby 
clasped  in  my  arms. 

The  evening  passed  on  into  the  night  ; 
and  worn  out  with  wandering  I  slept  on  until 
awakened  by  my  baby  who  was  crying  from 
hunger.  Once  awake,  I  too  felt  its  pangs  and 
realized  the  sufferings  of  my  little  one.  I  lay 
there  for  a  moment  quarreling  with  God  and 
wondering  why  I  was  called  upon  to  suffer  so 
much.'  I  knew  I  had  committed  no  great  wrong. 
I  knew  I  had  always  tried  to  do  right. 

As  I  lay  there  thinking  and  quarreling,  my 
troubles  were  forgotten  in  the  consciousness  of 
hunger  pains  and,  driven  to  desperation,  I  re- 
solved upon  a  plan  of  action  that,  in  younger 
years,  would  have  seemed  impossible. 

Just  above  my  head  was  a  cupboard,  and  I 
could  smell  the  bread  behind  its  unlocked 
doors.  I  arose  slowly,  trembling  with  fright. 
It  was  my  first  attempt  at  thieving.  I  opened 
the  door  of  the  cupboard.  There  lay  half  a 

8  113 


Minna. 

loaf  of  bread  with  a  knife  conveniently  beside 
it.  I  cut  off  a  thin  slice  and  crouched  back 
upon  the  floor.  In  an  instant  my  baby  had 
devoured  it  and  I  took  another  one  for  myself. 
Slice  after  slice  disappeared  until  the  bread 
was  nearly  all  gone. 

At  last  I  lay  down.  My  hunger  was  some- 
what satisfied,  but  I  was  dreadfully  frightened. 
I  knew  the  woman  would  discover  that  some- 
one had  been  at  the  loaf ;  so  I  lay  there  in  fear 
and  did  not  dare  to  stir,  nor  could  I  sleep  the 
rest  of  the  night.  Toward  morning  the  widow's 
son,  a  boy  of  fourteen,  went  to  the  cupboard. 

"  Ma,"  he  called,  "  there  isn't  enough  bread 
for  me  to  take  along."  How  my  heart  sank  ! 

Fortunately  the  mother  only  answered : 
"  You  will  find  some  coppers  there.  Take 
tuppence  and  buy  a  loaf.  I  thought  there 
was  quite  a  piece  left."  The  boy  grumbled  a 
bit  but  went  out  and  returned  shortly  with  a 
loaf  of  bread,  cut  half  of  it  and  went  to  work. 

The  hunchback  daughter  came  to  ,me  and 
announced  that  it  was  time  to  go  to  the  factory 
for  the  coats  ;  so  I  went  along  to  help  carry 

them.     When  we  returned  I  took  my  boy  and 

114 


From  Pillar  to  Post. 

left  the  house,  ostensibly  to  buy  something  to 
eat,  for  I  wanted  these  people  to  think  I  would 
have  breakfast  and  would  not  tax  their  charity. 
We  strolled  about  long  enough  to  give  the 
widow  and  her  daughter  time  to  finish  their 
meal  and  then  started  back  to  the  house. 

On  the  way  there  w^  came  suddenly  upon 
my  pretended  mother  returning  from  the  gro- 
cer's. With  a  scream  of  rage,  she  flew  at  me 
and  struck  me  so  forcibly  with  her  basket  that 
my  nose  began  to  bleed.  Not  content  with  the 
severity  of  this  chastisement  she  grabbed  me 
by  the  hair  and  pulled  it  with  all  her  might. 

"  Here's  my  good-for-nothing  daughter,"  she 
screamed.  "  I  am  an  unfortunate  mother  of 
this  drab,  who  is  disgracing  me  on  the  streets 
of  London  !  Have  pity  on  me  and  drive  her 
out.  She'll  take  your  husbands  away.  You 
don't  know  how  bad  she  is." 

Her  screams  soon  attracted  a  crowd  that  kept 
growing  larger  and  larger  all  the  time.  I  stood 
in  the  center  of  this  excited,  gesticulating  mob, 
wiping  my  bleeding  face  with  my  apron.  I 
could  move  neither  one  way  nor  the  other,  for 
whichever  way  I  turned  the  crowd  would  fol- 


Minna. 

low.  A  policeman  appeared  and  some  of  the 
women  jabbered  an  explanation  of  the  tumult 
in  broken  English.  "  We'll  keep  an  eye  on  her, 
we'll  keep  an  eye  on  her,"  said  the  majestic 
guardian  of  the  law  as  he  drove  the  crowd  away 
and  left  me  standing  there,  thankful  to  be 
alone. 

An  English  woman  living  near-by  opened 
her  door  and  called  me  in.  She  gave  me  a 
towel  and  sent  me  into  the  yard  to  wash  my 
face.  I  could  hear  her  talking  to  some  other 
women,  and  though  the  sound  of  several  voices 
reached  me  clear  and  distinct,  I  could  not  un- 
derstand what  they  said.  When  I  had  washed 
my  face,  they  gave  me  something  to  eat ;  but  I 
could  only  choke  and  cry  until  they  all  cried 
with  me.  They  tried  to  talk  to  me,  but  beyond 
interpreting  by  their  manner  that  they  were 
uttering  kindly  words  of  friendship  and  advice, 
I  could  not  understand  a  word  they  said. 

Only  a  few  days  in  London,  hounded  by  my 
foster-mother  at  every  step,  events  had  proved 
to  me  that  the  Ghetto  was  not  large  enough  to 
hold  us  both  ;  that  the  religious  fanaticism  of 

these  benighted  people  smothered  their  finer 

116 


From  Pillar  to  Post. 

sensibilities  and  turned  them  from  friends  to 
fiends.  Yet  my  pretended  mother  was  not 
wholly  to  blame,  for  the  marriage  bond  is  held 
in  such  veneration  by  the  Jews  that  she  but 
followed  the  light  of  her  understanding  in  de- 
nouncing me,  who  had  refused  to  observe  its 
sanctity.  And  so,  wnen  she  took  it  upon  her- 
self to  turn  everybody  against  me,  she  only 
played  upon  the  innate  characteristics  of  these 
people,  who  followed  blindly  the  dictates  of 
their  religion,  rather  than  the  promptings  of  the 
heart. 

Nevertheless,  though  Fortune  had  cast  me 
among  them  from  the  days  of  my  infancy,  yet 
I  felt  I  was  not  of  them  ;  and  as  the  conviction 
dawned  upon  me  that  employment  in  the 
Ghetto  was  virtually  impossible  so  long  as  my 
foster-mother  lived  there,  a  ray  of  hope  came 
that  some  other  section  might  hold  forth  better 
things.  But  where  was  that  section  and  how 
was  I  to  get  there  ? 

The  woman  of  the  house  hunted  up  an  old 
bonnet  which  she  tied  on  my  head,  and  with- 
out a  word,  beckoned  me  to  follow.  We  wound 

our  way   through   crooked  streets  to  White- 

117 


Minna. 

chapel,  where  we  boarded  a  tramway  for  the 
West  End.  Arrived  there,  my  new-found 
friend  entered  a  tailor-shop  kept  by  a  Russian 
Jew,  whose  wife  was  an  Englishwoman.  After 
some  parley  in  the  back  of  the  shop  which  I 
could  neither  hear  nor  understand,  the  tailor 
came  forward  and  announced  that  he  would 
try  me  at  making  button-holes. 

Here  was  the  long -sought  opportunity ;  and 
I  could  only  cry  and  stammer  my  gratitude  al- 
ternately to  the  tailor  and  to  the  kind  woman 
who  had  brought  me  there.  Hope  for  the 
future  mingled  with  dread  lest  my  foster- 
mother  should  again  find  me  out  and  hunt  me 
from  the  place  ;  but  I  determined  to  work 
with  a  will  while  the  opportunity  lasted  and 
rely  on  the  hope  that  my  pretended  mother's 
influence  was  confined  to  the  limits  of  the 
Ghetto. 

I  worked  hard  and  applied  myself  with  dili- 
gence. Everything  seemed  rosy,  and  again  I 
had  reason  to  feel  that  the  way  had  opened  up 
for  me.  But  it  was  not  to  be  so.  After  three 
days  the  tailor  began  to  annoy  me  with  his  at- 
tentions, so  much  so  that  it  became  very  un- 

118 


From  Pillar  to  Post. 

comfortable.  As  I  could  not  speak  English,  I 
was  unable  to  complain  to  his  wife  ;  so  I  had 
to  suffer  in  silence  and  try  to  keep  him  away 
as  best  I  could.  Finally  he  became  so  bold 
that  his  wife  noticed  that  wherever  I  was  he 
would  manage  to  have  something  to  do,  and 
she  watched  him.  They  permitted  me  to  sleep 
in  the  kitchen  ;  but  when  I  went  to  bed  I  could 
hardly  sleep  for  fear  he  would  come  in,  and  I 
was  obliged  to  put  chairs  in  front  of  the  door, 
since  there  was  no  lock. 

One  night,  not  knowing  this,  he  pushed  the 
doer  open  and  the  chairs  fell  over  with  a  great 
clatter.  His  wife,  who  had  been  lying  awake 
and  listening,  hurriedly  ran  downstairs  and 
confronted  us  at  the  door.  She  understood  at 
a  glance  that  I  was  not  to  blame,  but  fully  re- 
alized it  was  better  for  herself  and  for  me  that 
I  should  not  remain  in  her  house  any  longer. 
So  in  the  morning,  she  gave  me  to  understand 
I  was  to  follow  her,  and  she  took  me  to  another 
Jewish  tailor.  She  told  him  I  was  already 
making  a  very  good  button-hole,  and  that  if 
he  would  give  me  work  she  would  take  me  to 

a  place  where  I  could  sleep. 

119 


Minna. 

So  it  was  arranged.  He  gave  me  a  coat  to 
put  button-holes  in  and  I  took  it  home.  Of 
course  in  three  days  I  could  not  have  learned 
very  much  about  button-hole  making,  and  fur- 
thermore I  did  not  know  a  thing  about  them 
when  I  began.  In  the  coat  which  the  tailor 
gave  me  to  work  on,  the  button-holes  had 
been  merely  punched  in  with  a  puncher  de- 
signed for  that  purpose  and,  as  is  generally 
the  case,  the  small  one  in  the  lapel  was 
punched  a  little  corner-wise.  Not  knowing 
any  better,  I  had  an  idea  that  a  mistake  had 
been  made  and  tried  to  straighten  it  out.  By 
straightening  it  and  pulling  it,  the  button-hole, 
when  I  had  finished,  was  certainly  crooked, 
but  I  imagined  I  was  helping  the  tailor.  I 
took  the  coat  over  and  gave  it  to  him,  fully 
satisfied  that  he  would  realize  how  clever  I 
was  when  he  saw  I  was  capable  of  finding  out 
a  mistake  and  rectifying  it.  No  sooner,  how- 
ever, had  he  looked  at  it,  than  he  exclaimed  : 

"  You  fool !  The  hole  is  crooked.  Well, 
you  are  a  button-hole  maker,  you  are.  You 
have  got  a  loch  (hole).  Well,  take  your  hole 
to  some  other  department.  It  certainly  won't 


I2O 


From  Pillar  to  Post. 

do  here."  He  thrust  the  coat  in  my  face. 
"  Take  it  out,"  he  shouted.  "  Go  over  with  it 
to  the  button-hole  maker  over  there." 

All  the  hands  laughed  at  the  crooked  button- 
hole of  which  I  had  been  so  proud,  and  the 
tailor  himself  remarked  that  if  I  was  going  to 
be  so  smart  in  the  future,  I  could  prepare  to 
eat  bread  with  a  spoon,  as  that  would  be  about 
all  I  could  get  of  it.  I  sat  down  and  carefully 
tried  to  renovate  the  button-hole. 

"  I  say,  missus,  don't  cut  that  coat  now," 
the  tailor  yelled.  "  Next  thing  you  will  have 
to  pay  for  it  and  you  would  have  to  make  a 
great  many  crooked  holes  to  do  that."  Every- 
body laughed  at  this  sally. 

Finally  I  finished,  and  one  of  the  hands 
showed  me  how  the  lapel  button-hole  should 
be  made,  proffering  her  assistance  at  any  time 
I  was  in  need  of  it.  I  was  indeed  grateful  to 
her.  I  asked  the  tailor  if  he  would  kindly  give 
me  another  coat. 

"  Eh,  want  another  coat  ?  Go  to  that  man 
over  there  at  the  other  end  of  the  table,  he'll 
give  it  to  you." 

I  saw  a  man  standing  there  with  a  large  press- 


121 


Minna. 

ing  iron  in  his  hand.  I  went  over  to  him  and 
stood  silently  beside  his  table,  for  I  knew  he 
had  heard  what  the  boss  had  said.  Quite  fifteen 
minutes  passed  by  and  it  finally  dawned  upon 
me  that  I  was  in  the  way  ;  for  coats  and  sleeves 
came  flying  from  all  directions  and  seemed  to 
follow  me  whichever  way  I  moved.  At  last  I 
ventured  to  ask  the  man  if  he  had  any  coat  for 
me.  Pointing  at  me  with  his  pressing  iron,  he 
called  to  another  man  seated  at  a  near-by 
machine  : 

"  Oh,  Schleimele  ;  give  her  a  coat.  Don't 
you  see  she  is  waiting  ?  Go  over  there,"  he 
directed,  "  he'll  give  you  a  coat.  He's  got  'em." 

The  whole  crowd  of  shop-hands  laughed 
boisterously,  while  I  stood  there,  dimly  con- 
scious that  they  were  making  fun  of  me.  I 
could  not  see  the  joke,  nor  could  I  understand 
why  they  should  tease  me  so.  To  me  it  was 
too  serious  a  matter  for  teasing.  As  I  stood 
there,  uncertain  what  to  do,  the  tailor's  wife 
came  in  with  a  large  tray  filled  with  cups  of 
tea.  She  took  in  the  situation  at  a  glance,  and, 
comprehending  my  position,  bade  me  come 
downstairs  with  her. 

122 


From  Pillar  to  Post. 

There  was  something  about  this  woman  that 
placed  her  a  little  above  her  class.  It  may 
have  been  a  keener  perception  ;  or  it  may  have 
been  a  natural  sympathy.  Whatever  it  was  I 
felt  drawn  toward  her  and  before  I  knew  it  I 
had  told  her  everything  about  myself.  She 
listened  in  silence,  her  eyes  constantly  search- 
ing my  face  ;  and  when  I  had  finished  she 
looked  down  at  the  floor  for  a  moment,  ap- 
parently absorbed  in  thought.  Finally  she 
looked  up  again  and  I  could  see  that  the  story 
of  my  difficulties  had  won  her  sympathy. 

"  It  will  be  very  difficult,"  she  said,  "  for 
you  to  get  along  in  these  shops.  They  are  a 
common,  vulgar  set  and  my  husband  is  like 
the  rest." 

Again  she  looked  down  at  the  floor  as  if  she 
were  thinking  what  could  be  done.  I  waited 
in  suspense  until  she  should  speak  again. 

"I'll  tell  you  what  I  will  do  for  you,  my 
girl,"  she  continued  at  last.  "There  is  a  Jewish 
theatre  here  and  the  second  operator  upstairs 
is  the  leading  actor  and  president  of  the 
Dramatic  Club.  I  will  call  him  down  later,  not 

just  now,  for  I  don't  want  the  others  to  know.    If 

123 


Minna. 

they're  all  so  smart  I'll  just  fix  them."  Her 
black  eyes  snapped  with  evident  relish  at  the 
thought  of  getting  even  with  somebody,  from 
which  I  felt  that  things  were  none  too  smooth 
even  for  her,  a  boss's  wife. 

"  You  are  just  the  kind  of  woman  they  want 
in  that  theatre,"  she  went  on.  "  Have  you  ever 
acted?" 

11  No,"  I  replied,  "  I  never  have." 

"Well,  that  doesn't  matter,"  she  said  en- 
couragingly, "  you  don't  need  experience  to 
act  in  that  kind  of  a  theatre.  None  of  them 
know  very  much  about  it  anyway.  All  you 
need  is  to  look  pretty  and  wear  corsets  to  make 
your  figure  look  nice.  So  you  go  home  and 
I'll  send  that  operator  around  to  see  you  to- 
night. I'm  sure  he'll  want  to  put  you  on  the 
stage  and  make  a  great  actress  of  you." 

"  Suppose  he  does  not  come,  or  will  not  take 
me,"  I  said  doubtfully.  "  Perhaps  it  would  be 
better  for  me  to  look  for  another  tailor  who 
might  give  me  some  cheap  coats  to  make." 

"  No,"  she  replied.  "  You  don't  need  to. 
When  I  tell  you  I  surely  know  what  I  am  talk- 
ing about.  Schleimele,  the  president  of  the 

124 


From  Pillar  to  Post. 

Dramatic  Club,  will  pay  you  at  least  ten  shil- 
lings a  week.  You  can  live  grandly  on  that. 
You  can't  tell — a  thing  like  that  may  mean  your 
whole  future.  When  you  once  get  on  the 
stage,  you  may  get  a  boss  for  a  husband." 

A  boss  in  that  part  of  London,  means  a 
master  tailor,  shoemalcer,  carpenter,  etc.  I 
assured  her  I  was  not  looking  for  a  boss  but 
that  I  would  be  glad  to  avail  myself  of  the  ten 
shillings.  But  how  I  was  to  go  on  the  stage 
and  be  an  actress,  I  could  not  understand.  I 
had  never  in  my  life  seen  a  theatre,  but  I  had 
heard  people  say  that  actresses  were  very  bad 
women.  Of  course  I  was  not  going  to  be  bad, 
I  was  sure  ;  but  I  wondered  what  I  would  have 
to  do. 

Absorbed  with  the  thoughts  of  this  new  ca- 
reer I  went  home  to  prepare  for  the  visit  of 
my  prospective  employer.  Would  he  take  me  ? 
That  was  the  question.  Ten  shillings  a  week 
and  no  knowledge  of  the  profession  necessary  ! 
It  really  seemed  absurd  to  think  for  a  moment 
that  he  would  take  me,  I  and  half  resolved  to 
waste  no  time  in  waiting  for  him.  But  then 

the  tailor's  wife  was  so  positive  ;  and  besides 

125 


Minna. 

it  was  really  too  late  to  go  about  among  the 
shops  looking  for  employment.  So  I  decided 
to  wait  the  visit  of  the  dramatic  president  and 
occupy  the  time  in  improving  my  personal  ap- 
pearance, to  make  up  for  my  lack  of  knowledge 
and  training. 

I  little  understood  then  how  small  a  part  that 
knowledge  and  training  play  in  the  theatres  of 
the  class  to  which  this  one  belonged.  A  pretty 
face,  a  good  figure  and  a  little  self-assurance 
are  about  all  the  qualifications  necessary  ;  for 
neither  the  manager  of  the  theatre  nor  the 
actors  themselves  know  what  talent  is,  nor  do 
they  care  so  long  as  there  are  those  on  the 
stage  who  will  attract  the  audiences.  Beside, 
the  place  to  which  I  was  going  was  more  or 
less  of  an  amateurish  affair,  as  I  afterward  dis- 
covered. 

All  these  things  I  had  yet  to  learn  ;  and  be- 
ing ignorant  of  them  I  went  to  work  with  a 
will  to  make  myself  attractive,  in  the  hope  that 
the  president  of  the  theatre  would  lose  sight  of 
my  ignorance  in  the  charm  of  my  personal  ap- 
pearance— if  I  had  any.  Since  I  had  an  idea 

that  all  actresses  wore  short  skirts,  I    raised 

126 


From  Pillar  to  Post. 

mine  a  trifle.  I  was  quite  satisfied  with  my 
appearance,  but,  gracious,  how  shabby  my 
shoes  were  !  It  would  be  impossible  to  go  on 
the  stage  in  such  shoes.  I  was  certain  that 
every  actress  wore  a  pretty  pair  of  red  or  blue 
shoes  and  nice  silk  ribbon  bows  ;  and  that  the 
theatrical  people  furnished  the  fine  dress.  I 
realized  that  when  the  waist  is  drawn  in,  the 
hips  protrude  and  the  short  skirt  will  stand 
out  full ;  so  I  took  a  little  towel  from  my  room, 
placed  it  around  my  waist  and  drew  it  in  tight, 
to  see  how  I  would  look  were  I  to  wear  a  cor- 
set. Oh,  what  a  fine  figure  !  With  nice  blue 
slippers  tied  with  red  ribbons,  and  my  bodice 
with  the  neck  cut  out,  certainly  I  would  look 
charming  !  I  opened  one  or  two  buttons  at 
the  neck  and  looked  at  myself  in  the  glass. 
What  a  clear  white  neck  I  had  !  It  was  so  full 
and  plump  that  I  really  thought  myself  very 
pretty.  I  took  off  the  bodice  altogether  and 
looked  at  my  arms.  They  were  very  pretty 
too,  but  the  vaccination  marks  were  there  and 
made  little  spots.  I  made  up  my  mind  that  I 
would  put  large  silk  bows  over  them  to  match 

my  shoe  ribbons. 

127 


Minna. 

When  I  had  everything  planned  as  to  how 
I  ought  to  look,  I  was  flushed  and  very  happy. 
I  washed  my  face,  neck  and  ears  over  and  over 
again,  for  I  expected  to  receive  the  president 
of  the  Dramatic  Club  and  wanted  to  look  my 
very  best.  I  combed  my  hair,  parted  it  on  one 
side,  and  tied  it  up  tightly  at  the  back  in  a 
little  English  knot.  I  washed  my  apron  in  the 
same  water,  rinsed  the  garment  well,  borrowed 
from  the  Missus  a  bit  of  blueing,  and  then  hung 
the  apron  in  the  yard  in  the  sun.  I  asked  the 
Missus  if  I  might  put  an  iron  on  the  fireplace 
and  she  very  kindly  consented.  By  the  time  it 
was  hot,  the  apron  was  half  dried,  so  I  brought 
it  in,  rolled  it  well  in  my  hands,  and  ironed  it 
until  it  looked  like  new.  I  put  it  on  and 
waited  patiently.  I  did  not  then  realize  that 
my  hunger  was  a  part  of  my  training  for  the 
stage  ;  but  now  I  am  sure  that  there  was  no 
actor  or  actress  in  London  that  day  who  was 
quite  as  hungry  as  I  was.  Not  only  was  I  with- 
out food,  but  I  had  no  hopes  of  obtaining  any  ; 
but  as  hunger  is  a  part  of  the  profession,  I 
started  out  well. 

Finally,  satisfied  that  my  appearance  was  the 
128 


From  Pillar  to  Post. 

very  best  I  could  make  it  under  the  circum- 
stances, I  sat  down  to  wait  the  visit  of  my  pro- 
spective employer  and  gave  myself  up  to  the 
conflict  between  hope  and  anxiety. 


129 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  STAR   ACTRESS. 

SCHLEIMELE  arrived,  prompt  and  dressed 
in  his  best.  The  Missus  heard  his  three  sharp 
knocks  and  showed  him  in.  Aware  of  the 
great  preparations  I  had  made  to  receive  him, 
and  noting  that  he  too  was  all  "  dressed  up," 
she  watched  us  suspiciously.  I  was  confused 
and  by  my  very  embarrassment  stumbled  into 
good  manners.  Finally  I  managed  to  ask  : 

"  Are  you  the  gentleman  the  '  boss's '  wife 
sent  to  me  ? " 

"  I  am  the  president  of  the  Dramatic  Club," 
he  replied  grandly  and  threw  himself  dra- 
matically into  a  chair.  He  looked  at  me  for  a 
moment,  rather  peculiarly  I  thought,  while  I 
stood  before  him,  modestly  and  with  downcast 
eyes,  waiting  for  him  to  proceed. 

11  I  need  a  woman  for  the  stage,"  he  said 
presently,  "and  I'm  sure  it  will  be  a  good  thing 

for  you.     I  can  see  you  will  make  a  great  and 

130 


The  Star  Actress. 

dear  actress."  He  looked  me  over  from  head 
to  foot  as  though  studying  my  "  points." 

"  I  give  you  my  word,"  he  continued  enthu- 
siastically, "  when  they  hear  in  London  and 
Petticoat  Lane  that  we've  got  such  a  handsome 
girl  as  you  on  the  stage,  why  next  Saturday 
night  it'll  be  packed.  It'll  be  crowded  !  I'll 
bet  we'll  have  five  hundred  people.  They 
won't  be  able  to  get  into  the  theatre  !  We'll 
raise  the  price  !  Even  the  members  of  the 
club  will  have  to  pay.  And  then,  I'm  sure,  if 
you  play  once  or  twice,  you'll  be  able  to  play 
in  the  biggest  theatre  in  London  !  " 

His  enthusiasm  quite  overcame  me  ;  and  the 
rosy  future  he  presented  raised  my  hopes  so 
high  that  already  I  began  to  picture  a  little 
home  for  me  and  my  Dady  built  with  my 
earnings  on  the  stage.  This  man  was  the 
president  of  the  Dramatic  Club,  manager  of 
the  theatre,  and  head  actor  ;  surely  he  must 
know  what  he  was  talking  about  ! 

11  Ah  !"  he  continued  with  the  same  peculiar 
look  at  me,  "  you're  bright  and  pretty.  We've 
always  had  to  dress  a  man  up  for  the  women's 
parts,  but  now  we'll  have  a  real  woman  to 


Minna. 

play  them  and  a  handsome  one  too.  When  I 
saw  you  in  the  shop  to-day  I  said  to  myself 
right  away ;  '  There's  a  girl  who  will  make  a 
great  actress.'  You  looked  so  forlorn  I  really 
pitied  you." 

I  thanked  him  for  his  kindness  and  ventured 
to  ask  what  I  would  have  to  do  to  become  a 
great  actress. 

"  You  will  have  to  play  only  twice  a  week," 
he  replied,  "  or  perhaps  three  times,  and  you 
will  have  a  whole  week  to  study.  Of  course 
you  can  read  Yiddish  !  You  can  study  your 
part  yourself  ;  and  next  Saturday  night  you 
can  play.  Oh,  yes  !  "  he  went  on,  rising  dra- 
matically from  his  seat,  "  Next  Saturday  night 
we  will  play  '  Die  Kaprisne  Tochter.'  There's 
a  part  you  will  play  beautifully.  You  will 
make  a  grand  success,  I  know,  for  you  will 
play  almost  the  whole  piece." 

His  enthusiasm  seemed  to  run  away  with 
him,  for  he  took  out  five  shillings  which  he 
laid  grandly  upon  the  table.  "  Here's  five 
shillings,"  he  said,  "  and  Saturday  night,  after 
the  play,  we'll  have  a  meeting  and  arrange  how 

much  to  pay  you  a  week.     You  will  play  by 

132 


The  Star  Actress. 

us  all  the  time  and  we  will  pay  you  regular 
wages." 

I  thanked  him  again  for  his  kindess  ;  but 
conscious  of  my  ignorance  of  things  theatrical 
I  timidly  asked  if  he  would  give  me  a  few  in- 
structions in  the  duties  of  an  actress. 

"To-morrow  evening;,"  he  replied,  "  I  want 
you  to  be  in  Mensall  Street  Hall  ;  there  we 
will  make  rehearsal.  When  you  go  off  the 
stage,  don't  go  down  with  your  back  to  the 
audience,  but  always  go  off  backward  with 
your  face  to  the  public.  And  when  you  first 
come  on,  make  a  little  bow  and  smile  to  them, 
so  ;  and  the  same  when  you  go  off."  And  he 
proceeded  to  illustrate  very  majestically  how 
the  bow  and  the  smile  should  be  made.  I 
watched  with  rapt  attention,  flushed  with  the 
thought  of  the  people  clapping  their  hands 
when  /  made  that  bow  and  smile,  for  I  believed 
I  could  do  it  better  than  he. 

"  Will  you  paint  ? "  he  asked  abruptly. 

4  Yes,"  I  answered  somewhat  hesitatingly, 
"if  it  is  necessary." 

'  Well,  you   needn't   put   on   much ;  your 

cheeks  are  naturally  red." 

133 


Minna. 

He  remained  quite  some  time  explaining  all 
about  the  theatre  and  giving  instructions  in 
the  art  of  acting.  It  was  very  late  when  he 
finally  left  and  I  sat  down  to  reflect  on  all 
that  had  happened.  I  was  an  actress  with 
five  shillings  !  My  joy  knew  no  bounds. 

The  next  morning  I  went  out  to  buy  a  loaf 
of  bread,  a  hap'orth  of  tea  and  half  a  pound  of 
sugar.  The  Missus  said  I  might  use  her  tea- 
pot, cups  and  saucers,  and  anything  I  wanted. 
Evidently  she  too  regarded  me  as  already  the 
star  actress  of  the  Dramatic  Club,  and  probably 
pictured  herself  walking  into  the  theatre  at  all 
hours  and  without  paying  an  admission  fee. 
She  even  went  so  far  as  to  say  she  would  not 
mind  if  I  bought  half  a  pound  of  meat  to  cook 
with  her  dinner  and  took  a  plate  of  her  soup. 
A  plate  of  soup  and  a  little  meat !  It  certainly 
would  be  a  grand  dinner. 

I  cut  off  my  hair  in  front  so  as  to  form  a  flat 
"  bang."  I  bought  a  bit  of  red  flannel  and 
wound  it  around  my  neck,  as  this  was  consid- 
ered very  stylish  at  that  time  in  Petticoat  Lane. 
I  bought  new  shoestrings  and  two  handker- 
chiefs; a  white  one  for  my  pocket  and  a  large 

134 


The  Star  Actress. 

yellow  one  to  throw  over  my  shoulders.  I 
was  very  proud  ;  and  I  imagined  as  I  passed 
from  one  shop  to  another  that  every  one  was 
looking  at  me  and  whispering  :  "  There  goes 
the  great  actress  of  the  Yiddish  theatre." 

In  the  evening  the  president  called  and  said 
I  looked  ten  times  better.  No  wonder  !  I  had 
had  thiee  meals.  He  took  me  and  Dady  to 
the  theatre  for  the  rehearsal.  Arrived  at  the 
place  I  could  not  see  any  difference  between 
the  theatre  itself  and  the  houses  which  sur- 
rounded it.  It  was  an  ordinary  dwelling  ;  but 
when  we  passed  through  the  hall  to  the  rear, 
we  came  to  a  large  room  which  was  occupied 
during  the  day  as  a  tailor's  workshop,  but 
served  as  a  theatre  on  Saturday  and  Sunday 
nights,  and  sometimes  one  other  during  the 
week.  On  these  occasions  the  work-benches 
were  turned  about  to  face  a  low  stage  with  a 
curtain  and  one  or  two  screens  painted  to  rep- 
resent trees,  which  served  as  the  scenery  for 
any  play  that  might  be  given. 

The  room  was  bare  of  other  furnishings  ex- 
cept some  unfinished  garments  on  which  the 

tailors  had  been  working ;  which  reminded  the 

135 


Minna. 

audience  that  they  were  in  a  shop  and  not  a 
theatre,  and  therefore  peanuts  and  pop-bottles 
of  ginger  ale  were  permitted.  As  the  play  pro- 
gressed a  bottle  would  pop  now  and  then  and 
the  audience  would  call  out :  "  Sh-sh-sh  !  !  ! " 

When  we  entered  the  room  several  young 
men  had  already  arrived  and  one  of  them  was 
trying  to  blow  music  out  of  a  long  pipe.  We 
advanced  toward  the  stage  and  someone  called 
for  me  to  go  up  and  sing.  Sing  ?  I  did  not 
know  how  to  sing.  How  could  I  ?  At  home 
my  conditions  were  such  that  I  never  felt  like 
singing  as  other  children  did  ;  yet  I  realized  that 
here  was  the  first  test  of  my  ability  as  an  actress 
and  I  was  frightened.  Happily  the  president 
came  to  my  rescue,  and,  reminded  them  that 
this  was  a  dramatic  society.  Drama  meant 
acting,  not  singing,  he  informed  them,  and, 
even  if  I  could  sing,  he,  the  president,  was 
not  going  to  make  a  laughing-stock  of  the  dra- 
matic society,  his  honor  and  his  name.  "  Only 
drama  is  going  to  be  played  here,"  he  an- 
nounced firmly,  "  and  this  is  our  dramatist." 

This  point  settled  we  proceeded  to  the  re- 
hearsal of  "Die  Kaprisene  Tochter"  (The 

136 


The  Star  Actress. 

Wayward  Daughter)  ;  and  by  the  time  it  was 
over  I  had  mastered  my  part  so  well  that  but 
little  further  rehearsal  was  necessary. 

Saturday  night  came  at  last  and  my  appear- 
ance upon  the  stage  was  greeted  with  loud 
clapping  of  hands  and  stamping  of  feet  and 
murmurs  of  "  Ah  !  "V'Ain't  she  pretty  !  "- 
"  See,  they  have  got  a  real  woman."  They 
made  so  much  noise  it  was  several  minutes 
before  I  could  make  myself  heard  sufficiently 
to  go  on  with  my  part. 

Finally  the  tumult  ceased  and  the  play  pro- 
gressed to  the  end  amid  the  occasional  pop- 
ping of  corks  and  stamping  of  feet.  The  hall 
was  crowded  to  the  doors  and  my  success  was 
immense.  Bouquets  of  tissue  paper  flowers 
were  showered  upon  me  from  all  parts  of  the 
room  ;  and  I  was  so  proud  and  happy  and  ex- 
cited that  I  hardly  noticed  how  badly  the  wire 
fastenings  were  scratching  my  hands.  After 
the  performance  the  president  came  over  and 
congratulated  me. 

1  You  will  soon  be  known  in  the  whole 
Ghetto  ! "  he  exclaimed.  "  You  played  a  very 

heavy  piece  all  alone.     Ah  !     I  knew,  I  knew 

137 


Minna. 

right  away  when  I  saw  you  that  you  would 
make  a  great  actress  !  " 

He  handed  me  a  guinea  and  told  me  I  need 
not  bother  about  paying  back  the  five  shillings, 
and  that  he  would  see  that  I  received  a  guinea 
each  week.  He  said  I  needed  some  clothes 
and  must  order  a  dress.  He  would  advance 
me  a  few  pounds,  or  as  much  as  I  needed,  and 
deduct  ten  shillings  each  wreek  as  repayment. 
I  thanked  him  again  and  again,  and,  with  my 
baby  on  my  arm,  returned  home  the  proudest 
woman  in  London.  I  was  so  happy — oh — so 
happy  !  I  knew  I  was  a  great  actress,  because 
I  could  already  see  the  mistakes  the  others  had 
made  ;  and  besides  I  was  to  receive  a  guinea 
a  week  ! 

That  night  I  rested  peacefully,  with  my  baby 
by  my  side  ;  and  being  an  actress,  naturally 
did  not  get  up  until  noon  the  next  day.  While 
I  was  dressing,  I  heard  loud  talking  in  the 
kitchen,  and  going  out  to  investigate,  I  saw 
the  Missus  talking  to  a  little  woman.  "Don't 
be  foolish,"  I  heard  her  say.  "I'm  sure  it  is 
nothing.  I  promise  you  I  will  keep  my  eye  on 

the  matter."     But  the  little  woman  still  stood 

138 


The  Star  Actress. 

there,  refusing  to  take  the  hint  to  go.  Then, 
suddenly  spying  me,  she  called  out : 

"  Say,  you're  the  actress  in  the  Yiddish  thea- 
tre, aren't  you  ?  Did  you  know  I  was  secretly 
married  in  court  to  the  president  of  the 
theatre?" 

I  had  been  long  enough  in  London  to  know 
just  what  her  question  meant.  When  a  Jewish 
girl  goes  with  a  young  man  there  and  they 
make  a  mistake,  she  usually  calls  in  the  assist- 
ance of  friends  or  relatives  to  drag  him  to 
court,  where  he  is  forced  to  marry  her.  The 
affair  is  kept  as  a  secret  that  everybody  knows, 
but  they  do  not  live  together  as  man  and  wife 
until  they  have  accumulated  sufficient  money 
for  a  public  wedding.  It  is  often  the  case  that 
neither  party  is  very  much  in  a  hurry,  so  it 
sometimes  takes  from  five  to  ten  years  before 
the  religious  ceremony  is  celebrated.  Mean- 
while the  girl  keeps  an  eye  on  him,  and  if  she 
becomes  jealous  of  some  woman,  she  will  re- 
veal the  secret  of  her  marriage,  as  a  warning  to 
other  women  to  keep  away  from  her  private 
property! 

When  this  woman  told  me  that  she  had  been 
139 


Minna. 

married  in  court  to  the  president,  I  thought 
the  affair  had  just  taken  place,  and  I  being  the 
only  and  leading  actress,  she  had  come  to 
pay  me  honor  by  telling  me  of  it  first.  So  I 
stretched  out  my  hand  and  said:  " Masiltof ! 
I  wish  you  all  the  happiness  in  the  world.  I 
am  sure  he  is  a  very  nice  gentleman  because 
he  has  been  very  good  to  me.  He  told  me  I 
could  get  a  dress  made,  or  anything  I  needed 
as  an  actress,  and  that  he  would  advance  me  a 
few  pounds,  which  I  could  pay  back  ten  shil- 
lings a  week." 

While  I  spoke,  her  eyes  opened  wider  and 
wider,  until  I  thought  they  would  pop  out  of 
her  head  ;  and  when  I  had  finished  she  gave 
a  yell  and  bounded  toward  me. 

"Is  that  it?"  she  shrieked.  "So  he  has 
the  money  to  lend  you ;  but  for  me,  when  I 
ask  him  to  take  me  to  a  real  theatre,  he  has  no 
money  !  I'm  no  greenhorn  like  you !  I've 
been  in  London  ten  years,  and  I  know  a  green 
mod  (girl)  like  you  isn't  going  to  take  my  hus- 
band away  from  me.  I'll  go  over  to  the  shop 
right  now  and  I'll  fix  him !  /'//  show  him,  if 

he  can  give  money  to  other  women  and  have 

140 


The  Star  Actress. 

none  to  marry  me  with  !  /'//  play  theatre  for 
him.  /'//  be  his  actress  to-day. 

"What  chu  tink  o'  dat?"  she  continued, 
turning  to  the  Missus,  "What  chu  tink  o'  dat  ? 
Isn't  it  terrible  ?  I  tell  you,"  she  screamed  at 
me,  "  if  I  find  out  there  is  anything  going  on 
between  you  there'll  not  be  a  hair  left  in  your 
head."  With  that,  she  flew  out  of  the  house. 

She  was  a  little  woman  compared  to  me, 
but  I  was  trembling  like  a  leaf.  When  she 
had  gone,  the  Missus  placed  a  cup  of  coffee  on 
the  table.  "  Don't  worry,"  she  said,  "  I've 
known  Bailie  for  a  long  time,  only  I  didn't 
know  the  president  was  her  husband.  I  knew 
she  was  secretly  married  in  court  to  some  one, 
but  I  had  no  idea  she  had  such  a  nice  man  as 
the  president  for  her  husband.  To  tell  you 
the  truth,  he  would  suit  you  better  than  he 
does  her." 

She  said  this  with  a  cunning  glance,  as  much 
as  to  say  that  she  was  ready  to  help  us  if  we 
wanted  her  to.  "  I  can't  think  of  such  a  thing," 
I  said  impatiently.  "  My  thoughts  are  only  on 
becoming  a  great  actress." 

A  few   moments  later  the  president  came 
141 


Minna. 

in.  It  was  noontime,  and,  having  finished  his 
dinner  early,  he  had  come  to  visit  me.  He 
brought  a  large  copying  book,  as  he  had  learned 
that  I  could  neither  read  nor  write,  even  He- 
brew. He  wrote  the  alphabet  in  a  book  and 
told  me  to  study  it  until  the  evening,  and  that 
every  evening  he  would  come  and  teach  me 
an  hour  or  so,  so  that  in  a  short  time  I  would 
be  able  to  read  my  parts  foi  the  plays. 

Suddenly  I  saw  him  turn  oale  and  tremble. 
Glancing  in  the  direction  of  his  stare,  I  saw  the 
little  woman  again.  She  had  seen  him  sitting 
at  the  table  close  by  me,  and  rushed  in  scream- 
ing, "You  liar!" 

Her  husband  rose  excitedly.  "  See  here," 
he  said,  "  if  you  are  going  to  make  a  noise 
wherever  I  am,  I  tell  you  I'll  go  away,  and 
you'll  never  see  me  again.  So  you  had  better 
be  more  careful  as  to  what  you  say.  Do  you 
understand  me  ? " 

She  began  to  cry  and  tried  to  strike  me ;  but 
the  president  threw  himself  between  us  and 
warned  her  that  if  her  noise  and  abusive  lan- 
guage did  not  cease  immediately,  he  would 

never  speak  to  her  again.     He  said  he  would 

142 


The  Star  Actress. 

tell  her  friends  a  few  things  about  her  that 
would  shut  her  mouth.  My  poor  baby  became 
frightened  and  screamed,  and  I  tried  to  get 
away  with  him  to  my  room  ;  but  the  presi- 
dent's wife  clutched  my  hair  and,  screaming 
loudly,  dragged  me  around  the  room.  The 
Missus  and  the  president  separated  us. 

Finally  the  president  was  obliged  to  return 
to  his  work ;  and,  as  his  wife  was  a  button-hole 
maker,  she  too  had  to  go  away.  They  left  the 
house  together;  while  I,  frightened  and  dis- 
gusted, determined  to  have  nothing  more  to 
do  with  the  theatre.  I  told  the  Missus  I  would 
go  to  look  for  work  among  the  tailors  again,  as 
I  had  made  my  last  appearance  on  the  stage 
and  feared  the  president's  wife.  The  Missus 
laughed  and  told  me  it  would  be  very  foolish 
for  me  to  look  for  work  at  a  tailor's,  as  they 
would  never  give  work  to  any  one  who  had 
once  been  an  actress.  Overwrought  by  the 
excitement  I  sat  down  and  cried,  that  having 
my  child  to  support,  I  was  again  unable  to 
provide  for  its  wants. 

In   the  evening,  to  my  great  surprise,  the 

president   and  his  wife  came  to   see  me  to- 

143 


Minna. 

gether.  She  was  smiling  and  wore  a  new  gold 
ring  which  her  hu'sband  had  purchased  for 
her.  She  spoke  to  me  of  my  studies  as  if 
nothing  had  happened. 

"  If  you  like,"  she  said  pleasantly,  "  I  will 
take  you  to  my  dressmaker.  Ach !  She's 
such  a  fine  dressmaker  and  she's  cheap,  too. 
She'll  make  a  dress  for  you  so  that  you  will 
have  it  for  next  Saturday.  In  this  dress  you 
are  wearing  you  cannot  play  again.  I  tell 
you,  when  she  will  make  you  a  dress,  you  will 
bloom  on  the  stage.  You  ought  to  hear  already 
how  they  talk  about  you  all  over  London. 
They'll  have  to  have  a  larger  hall.  Come  with 
me  right  now.  I  know  a  Jewish  shoemaker 
who  will  take  your  measure  for  a  pair  of  shoes." 

Amazed,  I  stood  and  looked  at  the  woman 
who  but  a  few  hours  before  had  pulled  my 
hair  and  was  now  so  attentive  to  me.  I  won- 
dered if  this  was  a  part  of  the  theatrical  busi- 
ness, as  I  could  not  understand  how  she  could 
speak  to  me  in  such  a  gentle  tone,  after  having 
given  me  such  a  tongue-lashing  in  the  morning. 

11  Yes,  you  go  with  Bailie,"  said  the  presi- 
dent, "  she  will  show  you  everything." 

144 


The  Star  Actress. 

Reluctantly,  I  took  up  my  boy  and  followed 
her  out  of  the  house.  I  distrusted  her  ;  still 
there  was  no  choice.  I  had  lost  all  hope  of 
ever  finding  work  with  the  tailors,  so  I  was 
obliged  to  accept  this,  the  only  alternative. 
We  went  to  the  shoemaker  and  then  to  the 
dressmaker,  where  we  made  an  appointment 
for  the  next  day  at  noon,  when  I  was  to  bring 
the  material  for  my  dress.  For  two  or  three 
days  I  was  busy  with  my  studies  and  my  cos- 
tume and  so  interested  in  my  work  that  I  for- 
got the  troubles  of  the  early  part  of  the  week 
and  once  more  built  air- castles  of  my  future  as 
a  STAR. 

Saturday  night  again  arrived  and  I  bowed  to 
an  even  larger  audience  than  before.  I  looked 
well  in  my  new  costume,  and  I  was  doing  so 
nicely  that  the  president  stayed  behind  the 
scenes,  telling  me  constantly  how  well  I  looked 
and  what  a  great  future  there  was  for  me,  as  the 
English  papers  would  certainly  bring  me  out 
before  long  as  a  great  star. 

Again  the  paper  flowers  were  showered  upon 
me  when  I  walked  off  the  stage  as  an  accom- 
plished actress  should,  backwards  ;  but  before 


Minna. 

the  last  act  was  finished,  my  voice  was  drowned 
by  the  noise  of  another  quarrel  behind  the 
scenes,  between  the  president  and  his  wife, 
and  the  audience  could  not  hear  a  word  I  was 
saying.  She  was  in  one  of  her  jealous  moods 
again,  for  some  friends  of  my  foster-mother, 
who  had  of  course  heard  of  my  success,  had 
not  missed  the  opportunity  of  further  denounc- 
ing me  and  opening  the  eyes  of  the  little 
woman  to  the  dangerous  ground  upon  wrhich 
she  was  standing.  I  was  a  terrible  woman 
they  told  her,  and  a  man  like  the  president 
could  not  help  being  led  away  by  me  ;  so  she 
had  come  to  the  theatre  with  the  intention  of 
proclaiming  to  the  audience  my  life  and  char- 
acter, according  to  her  views,  which  were  sup- 
ported by  my  mother  and  her  friends. 

The  president  and  the  other  actors  feared  a 
scandal  ;  so  they  managed  to  pacify  her  by 
promising  that  if  she  wrould  wait  until  the  per- 
formance was  over  she  could  act  as  she  liked 
with  me,  without  interference  from  them. 
She  was  apparently  satisfied  with  their  promise, 
and  employed  her  time  in  reading  off  to  the  pres- 
ident a  few  pages  of  her  wifely  rights  ;  but  as 

146 


The  Star  Actress. 

soon  as  I  stepped  to  the  back  of  the  stage  she 
shook  her  fist  at  me,  until  they  made  her  leave 
the  stage,  and  she  joined  my  mother  who  was 
waiting  at  the  back  door  with  another  squad  of 
women.  They  cursed  and  swore  at  me,  and 
caused  such  an  uproar  that  the  president  sent 
one  of  the  actors  to  see  if  it  was  safe  for  us  to 
venture  out  and  go  home  ;  but  this  man  re- 
turned to  tell  us  that  we  must  not  attempt  to 
leave  the  place  as  the  mob  was  in  such  a  rage 
it  would  be  impossible  for  us  to  pass  through 
without  being  attacked. 

The  president  knew  of  a  little  window  that 
looked  out  from  the  stage  into  a  friendly 
woman's  yard.  As  the  theatre  was  nothing 
more  than  a  tailor's  shop,  and  as  it  was  on  the 
ground  floor,  I  found  little  difficulty  in  making 
an  exit  through  it.  My  Dady  and  I  remained 
with  the  woman  of  the  next  yard,  and  the  pres- 
ident went  out  with  his  silk  hat  on  the  back 
of  his  head,  his  chest  out,  and  addressed  his 
wife  : 

"  Bailie,  one  thing  or  the  other,"  he  com- 
manded. "  You  keep  quiet  or  I'll  tell  all  the 

people  what  you  are." 

147 


Minna. 

"  I  don't  care,"  she  replied,  "  I'll  tell  the 
whole  world  myself.  Last  night  you  carried 
her  child  home  after  rehearsal,  and  our  own 
child  you  were  ashamed  to  acknowledge  before 
the  world.  We  had  to  give  it  away  to  board 
with  strangers,  and  he  received  such  poor  care 
that  he  died.  I  don't  care — I  married  you  in 
court,  and  you  are  my  husband,  just  the  same." 
Then  she  began  to  cry  loudly,  and  all  the 
women  about  her  expressed  their  sympathy  ; 
for,  in  their  estimation,  I  was  the  worst  of 
women  and  she  was  such  a  nice  girl  ! 

This  scandal  concluded  my  theatrical  career. 
It  was  told  to  the  patrons  of  the  theatre  that 
the  star  was  a  bad  character  who  had  run  away 
from  her  own  lord  and  master,  and  had  now 
robbed  another  woman  of  her  husband.  Every- 
body promised  the  little  woman  that  they 
would  go  to  the  theatre  no  more  unless  I  was 
removed. 

The  actors  and  the  president  held  a  meet- 
ing, which  lasted  until  four  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  and  the  result  was,  that,  while  he 
wished  me  to  remain  with  his  company,  the 

others  refused  to  have  me.     I  could  not  blame 

148 


The  Star  Actress. 

them,  for  the  theatre  would  have  failed  had  I 
remained  with  them.  The  president  an- 
nounced the  company  dissolved.  He  said  he 
had  no  further  use  for  them,  but  would  open 
a  new  theatre  with  new  tailors,  since  there 
were  many  smart  young  men  whom  he  could 
get.  The  consequence  was  that  not  only  were 
the  few  shillings  I  had  received  the  week  be- 
fore spent  in  clothes,  but  I  also  owed  money 
to  the  president.  Though  he  assured  me  the 
very  next  day  that  he  would  soon  open  a  new 
theatre  for  me,  I  knew  that  no  good  would 
come  of  it,  as  his  wife  would  make  more  trouble 
and  I  would  again  be  the  sufferer. 

Once  more  I  was  without  money  and  had 
my  baby  to  care  for  ;  and  with  the  stain  of 
being  an  actress,  I  was  worse  off  than  before, 
for  no  tailor  would  permit  me  to  work  for  him. 
I  struggled  on  in  the  city  of  London,  wretchedly 
enough,  for  several  months.  Now  and  then 
some  tailor,  being  very  busy,  would  give  me  a 
few  coats,  but  most  of  them  refused  even  to 
speak  to  me.  Women  pointed  their  fingers  at 
me,  my  child  and  I  walked  about,  miserable, 

and  I  was  accused  of  leading  a  wicked  life. 

149 


Minna. 

The  woman  with  whom  I  lived  very  kindly 
told  me  not  to  worry  about  my  rent,  as  she 
was  sure  the  theatre  would  open  again,  and 
when  I  got  my  position,  I  could  pay  her. 
During  the  day  she  was  good  enough  to  give 
my  little  boy  bread  and  tea  ;  and  enviously  I 
would  watch  him  partake  of  it.  The  president 
made  several  good  offers  and  often  asked  me 
to  accept  money  of  him.  One  day  he  an- 
nounced very  gleefully,  that  his  wife  had  eloped 
with  a  presser  to  America. 

"  My  dear  Mr.  President,"  I  said,  "it  makes 
no  difference  at  all  to  me  whether  your  wife  is 
here  or  in  America.  You  must  not  count  on 
me  to  appear  on  the  stage  again.  I  am  sorry 
I  cannot  pay  you  what  I  owe  you  now  ;  but  it 
was  your  fault,  not  mine,  if  you  are  the  loser. 
When  you  understood  the  kind  of  woman 
your  wife  was,  you  should  not  have  given  me 
money."  He  looked  rather  sheepish  and  I  con- 
tinued : 

"  I  have  no  use  for  the  dress  or  the  other 
things  I  bought,  so  take  them  with  you.  I 
shall  be  glad  if  you  will  take  them,  for  I  shall 
then  be  relieved  of  the  debt.  Do  not  trouble 


The  Star  Actress. 

me  any  more  ;  you  have  been  very  kind  to  me 
and  I  appreciate  it,  but  do  not  visit  me  again 
nor  speak  of  the  stage  to  me.  If  I  ever  get 
money,  I  will  pay  you  the  sum  I  owe  you." 

He  went  away  and  that  was  the  last  I  heard 
of  him.  The  old  story  was  renewed,  and  I 
walked  the  streets  seeking  work,  with  fruitless 
results.  I  became  desperate  from  hunger,  for 
I  had  not  tasted  food  for  three  days,  and  I 
felt  as  if  I  would  go  insane. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  LAND   OF   THE   FREE. 

THE  hours  when  I  could  not  walk  the  streets 
in  search  of  work  gave  ample  opportunity  for 
bitter  reflection — and  bitter  indeed  it  was. 
My  rosy  future  as  an  actress  had  come  to  a 
sudden  end.  The  little  home  I  had  fancied 
seemed  far  away  and  I  trembled  at  the  thought 
of  what  might  happen  to  Dady  and  me.  I 
pictured  all  kinds  of  calamities  in  the  future, 
but  the  present  one  of  starvation  was  too  real 
to  need  picturing.  What  was  I  to  do  ?  The 
Ghetto  was  closed  to  me,  now  that  the  woman 
who  called  herself  my  mother  had  roused  the 
sympathy  of  the  people  and  effectually  turned 
them  against  me.  The  West-end,  too,  would 
henceforth  hold  no  place  for  me  since  I  could 
no  longer  earn  a  living  in  the  theatre  and  the 
tailors  would  give  no  work  to  an  actress.  Em- 
ployment in  other  parts  of  London  was  im- 
possible, for  I  could  not  speak  the  language. 


The  Land  of  the  Free. 

They  only,  who  have  felt  the  whole  world 
unjustly  against  them,  can  realize  the  gloom, 
the  despair  that  seized  me  and  made  me  ready 
to  grasp  at  any  opportunity  to  earn  even  a  few 
pence. 

One  day,  while  I  was  walking  the  streets  in 
my  fruitless  search  for  work,  I  caught  the 
odor  of  newly-baked  bread  that  came  from 
the  doors  of  a  baker  shop.  I  rushed  madly 
toward  it  and  passed  within.  All  about  were 
loaves  of  bread,  fresh-baked  rolls  and  cakes  of 
many  kinds.  To  me  it  was  a  ravishing  sight; 
and  in  my  frenzied  state  1  began  to  lay  plans 
to  take  a  loaf  when  no  one  was  looking.  Sud- 
denly realizing  what  was  passing  through  my 
brain,  I  checked  myself.  "  Can  it  be  possible," 
I  thought,  "  that  my  first  theft  in  the  widow's 
house  has  made  the  second  one  easier  ? " 
Then  I  stood  there,  wondering  how  I  could 
get  one,  a  fierce  battle  between  hunger  and 
conscience  raging  within  me. 

Suddenly  my  attention  was  attracted  to  a 
nicely  dressed  German  woman  whose  hair  was 
just  turning  gray.  She  was  asking  the  baker's 

wife  if  she  knew  of  any  young  girls  who  would 

'53 


Minna. 

like  to  go  to  America  and  learn  to  be  nurses 
in  a  hospital.  I  heard  the  words  "  young 
girls "  and  "go  to  America,"  and  that  was 
enough. 

"  America  !  America  !  Away  from  my  fos- 
ter-mother ;  away  from  these  people  who  are 
persecuting  me  !  "  was  all  I  thought. 

I  rushed  excitedly  up  to  her.  "  Take  me  ! 
Oh,  take  me  !  "  I  cried.  "  I  am  ready  to  go. 
I  am  all  alone  in  the  world  and  I  can  go  any 
time.  Take  me  !  Oh,  please  take  me  !  " 

The  woman  turned  upon  me  in  astonish- 
ment. 

"  So  you  want  to  go  to  America,  do  you  ? 
Would  you  like  to  be  a  nurse  in  a  hospital  ?" 

"Anything,"  I  cried,  "  anything,  so  long  as  I 
can  get  out  of  this  cursed  place." 

"Very  well,"  she  replied,  "come  with  me." 

We  walked  to  a  hotel ;  and  the  woman 
spoke  to  me  in  such  motherly  tones  of  America, 
and  how  much  money  young  girls  earn  there, 
that  I  thanked  God  for  bringing  me  to  her. 
I  could  hardly  wait  for  the  time  to  start.  My 
new  formed  friend  asked  me  if  I  had  had  any 

dinner.     At  the  mere  mention  of  food,  I  burst 

154 


The  Land  of  the  Free. 

out  crying  and  told  her  I  had  had  nothing  to 
eat  for  three  days. 

"  You  poor  child  !  "  she  said.  "  How  you 
must  have  suffered  !  " 

She  rang  the  bell  and  the  waiter  served  me 
with  dinner,  which  I  devoured  ravenously, 
while  the  motherly  Woman  smoothed  my  hair 
and  told  me  I  must  not  worry,  that  my  worst 
days  were  over.  She  said  she  had  some  other 
girls,  and  that  they  were  all  going  to  sail  in  a 
few  days.  She  gave  me  money  to  pay  off  my 
debt  to  the  president  of  the  theatre  and  the 
woman  with  whom  I  had  been  living.  Under 
the  influence  of  her  genial  manner  I  told  her 
all  about  myself  and  my  baby.  She  listened 
attentively  and  with  evident  sympathy,  and 
bade  me  fetch  the  boy  to  the  hotel  the  very 
next  day.  We  stayed  a  week  with  the  old 
lady  and  then  sailed  for  America. 

Oh,  America,  blessed  America  !  True 
mother  who  opened  thine  arms  to  receive  a 
lonely  girl  and  her  infant  child  ! 

The  only  fortune  I  carried  with  me  was  per- 
fect health  and  a  radiant  joy,  which  shone  in 
my  face  and  eventually  made  many  friends 


Minna. 

for  me  on  the  steamer.  I  was  very  happy. 
I  was  floating  toward  America,  an  unknown 
world  to  be  sure,  but  what  did  I  care  ?  I  had 
never  known  any  but  strangers,  so  it  made  little 
difference  where  I  went.  Beside,  no  place 
on  earth  could  hold  forth  worse  than  I  had 
already  experienced.  I  was  ignorant, — yes, 
ignorant  of  the  treachery  of  the  world  ;  but, 
dreaming  of  the  future  possibilities  which 
might  be  for  me,  and  relying  upon  the  prom- 
ises of  the  motherly  old  German  lady,  I  was 
happy  and  contented. 

The  first  few  days  of  the  voyage  were 
stormy  and  the  passengers  kept  closely  to 
their  rooms ;  but  the  sea  finally  quieted  down 
and  everybody  went  on  deck.  For  some  rea- 
son which  I  could  not  understand,  the  old 
lady  with  whom  we  were  traveling  forbade  the 
other  girls  to  go  on  deck  ;  but  she  accorded  a 
special  privilege  to  me  on  account  of  my  child, 
though  she  cautioned  me  not  to  talk  to  any  one. 

"  Don't  tell  anybody  where  you  are  going," 
she  said,  "  nor  how  many  girls  are  going  with 
you." 

She   gave  no  reasons  for   her  instructions, 
156 


The  Land  of  the  Free. 

but,  though  they  seemed  strange  to  me,  I  did 
not  question  them.  I  was  too  ignorant  of  the 
world's  treachery,  and  beside,  the  queer  old 
lady  had  been  very  kind  to  me,  and  I  felt 
deeply  indebted  to  her.  Though  I  tried  to 
follow  her  instructions  and  avoid  the  other 
passengers,  my  Dady  made  it  impossible. 
The  little  fellow's  broken  words  and  Petticoat 
Lane  slang  gave  his  prattle  a  gypsy  grace,  that 
attracted  the  passengers  to  him  and  kept  me 
almost  constantly  on  deck.  They  kissed  him, 
they  swung  him  in  the  air  and  carried  him 
about  ;  and  my  protests  that  they  were  spoil- 
ing my  boy  were  of  no  avail. 

One  day  I  missed  him  from  the  deck.  I 
searched  about  until  my  attention  was  attracted 
to  a  noisy  group  in  the  smoking  room, 
and  looking  through  the  window,  I  saw  my 
Dady,  the  center  of  a  crowd  of  men,  who  were 
asking  him  all  sorts  of  questions  and  laughing 
at  his  quaint  replies.  They  made  so  much 
noise  they  attracted  the  attention  of  a  man  far 
down  the  deck,  who  arose  from  his  chair  and 
came  forward  to  join  in  the  jollity.  I  turned 
about  to  see  if  he  might  not  prove  to  be  of 


Minna. 

some  assistance  in  rescuing  my  boy,  when,  to 
my  great  surprise,  I  confronted  Dr.  Leiter  of 
the  Hamburg  hospital. 

"  Well !  "  he  exclaimed  as  his  face  lighted  up 
with  a  smile  of  recognition,  "  this  is  a  delight- 
ful surprise.  I  certainly  never  expected  to 
find  you  here.  Where  have  you  been  all  this 
time?" 

"  How  do  you  mean  ?"  I  asked.  "  Since 
we  left  London,  or  since  I  left  Hamburg  ? " 

"  Both,"  he  replied.  "  I  want  to  hear  all 
about  you  and  how  you  have  fared  since  we 
separated  in  Hamburg.  Let's  sit  down  while 
you  tell  me  all  about  it." 

We  walked  over  to  some  vacant  chairs  and 
were  soon  engrossed  with  our  mutual  reminis- 
cences. Little  by  little  I  told  him  some  of 
my  experiences  in  London  including  the  tailor 
shop  and  the  theatre  ;  but  I  omitted  the  parts 
in  which  hunger  and  my  pretended  mother 
had  figured,  for  their  very  coarseness  made 
all  reference  to  them  repulsive  to  me.  He 
listened  attentively,  with  a  question  now  and 
then,  but  when  I  told  him  about  the  crooked 

button-hole  he  laughed  heartily  and  seemed  to 

'58 


The  Land  of  the  Free. 

think  it  a  monstrous  joke.  Finally,  when  I  had 
told  him  all  I  cared  to  tell,  he  asked  : 

"  And  where  are  you  going  to  now  ? " 

"  To  America,"  I  replied  ;  "  with  an  elderly 
German  lady  who  is  taking  me  there  to  be  a 
nurse  in  a  hospital." 

"  Where  is  the  old  lady  "  he  asked  in  his  im- 
petuous way.  "  Is  she  on  deck  ?" 

"  No,  she's  in  her  stateroom  with  the  other 
girls.  She  never  comes  on  deck  nor  does  she 
permit  any  of  her  party  to  come  here  except  me. 
She  cautioned  me  not  to  speak  to  any  one  and 
I'm  afraid  she  will  be  very  angry  when  she 
finds  out  that  I  have  spoken  to  you  about  it ; 
but  the  excitement  of  meeting  you  so  unex- 
pectedly made  me  forget  her  instructions. 
Please,  Doctor,  don't  say  anything  to  any  one 
about  it." 

"  I'll  do  nothing  of  the  kind,"  he  said 
sharply.  "  Who  is  this  woman  and  what  is 
her  name  ?  Is  she  a  doctor  ?  Has  she  a  private 
hospital  in  New  York  ? " 

I  resented  his  questions  somewhat,  for  to  me 
they  seemed  unwarranted  ;  so  I  reminded  him 

how  kind  she  had  been  to  me  in  taking  me 

159 


Minna. 

out  of  London  where  I  had  experienced  so 
much  difficulty.  In  my  enthusiastic  defense 
of  her  I  went  farther  and  told  him  all  I  knew 
about  my  benefactress,  how  I  had  met  her  in 
the  baker  shop  and  what  she  had  told  me  of 
America  and  its  opportunities  for  young  girls 
to  earn  money.  He  listened  silently  to  all  I 
had  to  say,  and  when  I  finished  he  smiled  in- 
credulously. 

"  Now,  my  dear  girl,"  he  said,  "  you  leave 
this  matter  to  me.  It  needs  investigating.  It 
looks  to  me  as  if  it  was  a  more  powerful  hand 
than  we  realize  that  led  me  to  return  to  America 
by  way  of  London  and  on  the  same  steamer 
with  you.  You  think  your  troubles  end  with 
this  old  lady,  but  I  think  they  are  only  be- 
ginning. It  is  certainly  very  suspicious  that 
she  keeps  herself  hidden  from  everybody  and 
travels  first-class  with  several  young  girls  whom 
she  will  not  permit  to  speak  to  the  other  pas- 
sengers. It's  my  opinion  that  she's  a  bad 
woman  with  a  bad  purpose  ;  so  you  stay  right 
here  until  I  come  back." 

He  walked  away  and  left  me  in  a  fever  of 

suspense.     In  the  excitement  of  meeting  him 

160 


The  Land  of  the  Free. 

and  the  discussion  which  followed,  I  had  for- 
gotten all  about  Dady,  who,  tired  of  his  fun  in 
the  smoking-room,  came  running  out  to  me. 
A  horror  overcame  me  and  chilled  me  through 
and  through.  I  bit  my  finger  to  see  if  I  was 
alive.  "  Oh  !  My  God  !  "  I  thought,  "  Is  there 
no  end  to  my  sorrow,xno  end  to  my  trouble  ? 
Must  I  always  find,  whichever  way  I  turn, 
treachery  and  some  one  ready  to  take  advan- 
tage of  me  ?  Can  it  be  possible  that  this 
motherly  old  lady  who  has  been  so  kind  to  me 
is  all  the  Doctor  says  she  is  ?  It  can't  be.  It 
must  be  a  mistake,"  I  said  aloud. 

By  and  by,  Dr.  Leiter  returned  and  brought 
with  him  the  captain  of  the  vessel.  They  sat 
down  on  either  side  of  me  both  looking  very 
solemn  and  serious. 

'  Who  is  this  old  woman  you  are  traveling 
with  ? "  the  captain  asked. 
"  I  don't  know,"  I  replied. 
11  What  is  her  name  ?  " 
"  Really,  I  don't  know,  Captain." 
11  Is  she  a  doctor  ?     Has  she  a  hospital  ?" 
"  If  she's  a  doctor,  1  don't  know  ;  but  she 

has  a  hospital,  she  says  so." 
ii  161 


Minna. 

"  Well,  where  is  her  hospital  ? " 

"  I  don't  know,"  I  replied.  Then  correcting 
myself,  "Why  in  America  of  course,  where  we 
are  going,"  I  said.  "  She's  really  a  dear  old 
lady,  Captain,  and  I  wish  Dr.  Leiter  wouldn't 
make  such  a  fuss  about  her  :  she's  been  so 
kind  to  me." 

"  I'm  afraid,  my  dear  girl,"  said  the  captain 
kindly,  "  that  this  '  dear  old  lady '  is  a  very  bad 
woman.  I'll  look  into  this  matter."  And  he 
arose  to  go. 

Several  times  during  the  conversation  I  saw 
them  exchange  knowing  glances  when  my  an- 
swers apparently  confirmed  their  thoughts,  and 
I  tried  again  to  prove  how  kind  the  old  lady 
had  been  to  me,  but  my  efforts  were  useless. 
The  captain  impressed  upon  me  the  fact  that  I 
was  lacking  in  knowledge  of  the  world,  and 
bade  me  leave  the  affair  in  his  and  Doctor 
Leiter's  hands.  The  conclusion  of  the  matter 
was  that  a  separate  stateroom  was  made  ready 
for  me  with  a  private  stewardess  for  guardian, 
who  took  me  aside  and  fully  explained  the 
danger  I  had  so  narrowly  escaped.  I  was 

frightened  and  heart-broken.    Once  mOre  my 

162 


The  Land  of  the  Free. 

plans  had  come  to  nothing  and  I  was  con- 
fronted with  that  eternal  question  "  What  shall 
I  do?" 

I  remained  in  my  stateroom  during  the  rest 
of  the  voyage  and  scarcely  ventured  on  deck. 
I  suspected  everybody,  trusted  nobody  and 
feared  them  all.  Dr.  Leiter  came  several  times 
to  see  me  and  insisted  on  my  proceeding  with 
him  to  his  home  in  Chicago,  "Where,"  he  said, 
"  your  troubles  will  be  over  ;  no  more  crooked 
button-holes  for  you."  But  I  could  not  do  it 
and  I  told  him  so.  His  kindness  had  served 
me  well  on  two  occasions  but  I  always  felt 
that  same  desire  to  get  away  when  he  began  to 
show  by  his  manner  that  his  interest  was  more 
than  platonic.  Perhaps  I  should  have  jumped 
at  the  opportunity,  as  no  doubt  many  girls 
would  have  done,  but  there  are  those  whose 
actions  are  governed  by  the  heart,  not  the 
head,  and  such  people  are  seemingly  illogical 
and  inconsistent. 

So,  reluctantly  and  with  many  protests,  Dr. 
Leiter  agreed  to  go  on  to  Chicago  alone  and 
leave  me  behind  to  work  out  my  own  salvation, 

after  he  had  arranged  with  a  Jewish  family  he 

163 


Minna. 

knew  of  on  the  East  Side  of  New  York  to  take 
me  in.  Accordingly,  when  the  steamer  warped 
into  her  dock,  the  passengers  left  with  "  good- 
byes "  and  "  best  wishes  "  to  Dady,  and  Dr. 
Leiter  left  me  in  charge  of  the  stewardess  to 
wait  the  coming  of  the  Jewish  people  with 
whom  I  was  to  live.  The  other  girls  of  the 
party  were  turned  over  to  the  authorities  for, 
so  the  stewardess  informed  me,  the  motherly 
old  German  lady  had  managed  to  escape  in  the 
crowd  and  leave  them  to  look  after  themselves. 
Some  were  turned  over  to  friends  in  New 
York,  but  most  of  them  were  sent  back  on  the 
same  steamer  to  London. 


164 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE   JEWISH    QUARTER. 

I  had  not  long  to  wait  after  Dr.  Leiter  left 
me,  for  presently,  as  I  stood  watching  the  noise 
and  bustle  of  the  freight  handlers  on  the  dock, 
I  saw  a  little  woman  come  bustling  up  the 
gangplank  and  heard  her  ask  in  a  shrill  voice 
of  some  one  I  could  not  see : 

"  Hey  !  I  say  !  Vere  iss  dot  yunge  veibchen 
mit  de  leedle  paby  vot  I  cum  here  by  ?  Iss  she 
nicht  here  already  yet  ? " 

Some  one  brought  her  on  deck  where  I  was 
waiting  and  I  turned  to  greet  her.  She  was 
short  and  wore  a  black  skirt  with  a  red  waist 
and  a  green  hat  with  many  colored  flowers.  I 
saw  to  my  delight  that  she  was  a  German 
Jewess  and  I  would  not  be  friendless  in  a 
strange  land.  She  carried  a  bundle  several 
sizes  too  large  for  her,  but  her  animated  and 
jerky  manner  showed  that  she  did  not  mind 

the  burden  in  the  least.     She  looked  sharply 

165 


Minna. 

at  me  for  a  moment  and  then  approached, 
with  the  same  jerky  steps  which  had  brought 
her  up  the  gangway,  and  addressed  me  in 
German. 

"  Are  you  the  yunge-frau  the  American 
Doctor  told  me  to  call  for  ? "  she  asked. 

"  I  believe  I  am,  if  you  mean  Docter  Leiter," 
I  replied. 

"Good,"  she  said.  "And  if  you  will  be 
ready  we  will  go  now.  My  husband  will  be 
waiting  for  me." 

"  I'll  be  ready  in  just  a  minute,"  I  said,  "  as 
soon  as  I  can  get  my  few  belongings  and  my 
baby." 

I  went  to  my  stateroom,  gathered  up  my  Dady 
and  my  bundles,  and,  bidding  the  stewardess 
a  grateful  goodbye,  I  left  the  steamer  with  my 
jerky  little  guide,  and  was  soon  threading  the 
streets  of  a  great,  strange  city.  I  followed 
the  woman  up  one  dirty  street  and  down  an- 
other, until  we  reached  a  section  which  my 
companion  informed  me  was  the  Jewish 
quarter ;  and  so  close  was  the  air  and  so 
squalid  the  surroundings,  that  I  thought  it  was 

even  worse  than  Petticoat  Lane.    Suddenly,  as 

166 


The  Jewish  Quarter. 

we  were  passing  down  what  appeared  to  be  a 
side  street,  something  flew  into  my  face  with 
great  force,  and  sliding  down  my  dress,  fell  to 
the  sidewalk.  Heavens  !  It  was  a  herring  ! 
Some  woman  had  evidently  bought  it  for  her 
husband,  but,  because  it  did  not  suit  him,  he  had 
thrown  it  out  of  the  window  and  I  was  destined 
to  come  all  the  way  from  London  to  receive 
it.  My  companion,  true  to  her  sense  of  Jewish 
hospitality,  laid  her  bundle  on  the  sidewalk  and 
proceeded  to  wipe  the  stain  from  my  dress 
with  a  wisp  of  straw  which  she  grabbed  from 
a  near-by  packing  case.  Then  without  further 
adventure,  we  walked  down  another  street  and 
entered  her  house,  where  we  mounted  three 
flights  of  stairs  and  passed  into  her  kitchen. 
She  bade  me  sit  down  in  her  characteristically 
jerky  fashion  and  then  left  me.  I  could  hear 
her  explaining  to  some  one  in  the  next  room, 
evidently  her  husband,  the  cause  of  her  delay 
in  getting  home  ;  and  while  she  was  gone  I 
took  the  opportunity  to  look  about  me  and  see 
how  the  Jews  lived  in  America. 

There  were  apparently  but  three  rooms  ;  for 

there  was  a  dark  opening  on  the  left  side  of  the 

167 


Minna. 

one  in  which  I  sat,  that  evidently  led  to  the 
bedroom,  while  to  the  right  was  a  door  opening 
into  the  parlor.  Beside  these  and  the  door  to 
the  hall  there  were  no  other  outlets.  I  could 
see  part  way  into  the  parlor,  which  contained  a 
suit  of  cheap  furniture  with  a  large  mirror  at 
one  end  and  a  very  fancy  lamp  suspended  from 
the  ceiling  ;  and  looking  a  little  closer  I  could 
see  that  the  "  parlor  "  and  the  "  factory  "  were 
one  and  the  same,  for  a  sewing  machine  stood 
in  a  far  corner  and  the  floor  was  strewn  with 
fur  capes  and  muffs,  some  lined,  some  partly 
lined  and  others  still  untouched.  Evidently 
these  people  were  workers  on  fur  garments ; 
and  I  began  to  manufacture  visions  of  a  new 
career  for  myself. 

Presently,  the  woman  returned  to  the  kitchen 
bringing  her  husband,  who  advanced  toward 
me  with  somewhat  bulky  steps. 

"  You  come  from  London  ? "  he  asked. 
"  The  old  story  ;  your  husband  ran  away  from 
you  to  America  and  left  you  behind,  eh  ?  What 
a  fool,  eh  ?  Such  a  nice  veibele  like  you  !  " 

I  protested  that  my  husband  did  not  run 

away  from  me,  but  he  would  not  listen.    "  Ah  ! 

1 68 


The  Jewish  Quarter. 

we  know,"  he  persisted,  "  You  don't  have  to 
be  ashamed." 

His  wife  put  an  end  to  further  discussion. 
"Ach!  Mein  Gott,  lieber  Man  !  What  is  the 
matter  with  you  to-day  ? "  she  said.  "  What 
are  you  going  into  politicians  for  ?  Leave  her 
alone.  When  she  sa^s  her  husband  is  not  run 
away  he  is  not  run  away.  Perhaps  he's  died. 
Go  wash  your  hands "  she  said  to  me,  "  and 
we'll  have  something  to  eat.  The  little  fellow 
must  be  hungry." 

Her  husband  jumped  off  the  corner  of  the 
table  where  he  had  perched,  and  proceeded  to 
wash  his  hands  in  a  bucket  that  was  standing 
near  by.  I  was  then  told  to  take  a  place  at  the 
table  and  I  did  so  without  any  coaxing.  As  I 
seated  myself  I  said  to  the  missus,  "  I  have 
three  shillings  left.  If  you  can  give  me  work, 
I  will  eat ;  but  if  you  think  you  are  unable  to 
give  me  any,  I  will  feed  the  little  boy,  but  I 
will  take  only  a  cup  of  hot  water  and  a  slice  of 
bread  for  myself." 

11  Don't  you  worry,  but  eat,"  she  replied. 
"You  can  have  all  the  work  you  want  here, 

and  all  you  want  to  eat.     There's  plenty  of 

169 


Minna. 

both.  It's  only  the  lazy  unions  that  don't 
want  to  see  people  working.  We  can't  get 
hands  enough  on  account  of  them.  Would 
you  like  to  learn  how  to  line  furs  ?"  she  asked. 

I  replied  that  I  would  be  only  too  grateful 
if  she  would  teach  me. 

"  I'll  show  you  how,"  she  said  assuringly, 
"  but  if  any  man  sees  you  working  here  and 
asks  if  you  belong  to  the  union  you  tell  him 
you  get  work  from  the  factory  and  you're  a 
boss." 

As  I  was  only  too  delighted  at  the  prospect 
of  securing  employment  so  soon,  I  promised  to 
follow  her  instructions,  though  I  did  not  un- 
derstand them  ;  so  she  took  me  into  the  com- 
bination parlor  and  factory  where  a  pile  of 
rabbit  skins  were  waiting  to  be  lined.  She 
showed  me  how  to  sew  the  hooks  and  eyes  on 
the  capes  without  pulling  the  hair  through  to 
the  other  side  of  the  skin,  and  while  I  was  try- 
ing my  hand  at  it,  she  brought  in  a  mattress 
and  a  dirty  old  blanket,  which  she  laid  on  the 
floor  behind  the  door.  Then  she  called  her 
husband  into  the  kitchen  and  told  me  to  go  to 

bed  with  my  child. 

170 


The  Jewish  Quarter. 

After  I  had  lain  down,  they  brought  in  a 
lamp  and  began  to  work  ;  but  I  soon  fell  a- 
sleep  and  knew  no  more,  until  I  became  con- 
scious of  a  bright  light  shining  in  my  face  and 
awoke  to  find  that  the  sun  had  risen.  The 
hands  of  the  clock  were  pointing  at  five  ;  so  I 
rose  quickly,  washed  my  face  and  hands  and 
dressed,  and  then  sat  down  to  work  beside  my 
boy  who  lay  sleeping  peacefully.  When  the 
woman  arose  it  was  seven  o'clock,  and  she  was 
greatly  surprised  to  see  the  pile  of  capes  in 
front  of  me. 

"  You  must  have  got  up  very  early,"  she 
said.  To  which  I  replied  that  I  was  up  at 
five  o'clock.  "You  needn't  worry,"  she  said 
knowingly,  "you  won't  go  hungry  in  New  York 
if  you  can  work  like  that."  Her  assurance 
stimulated  me  to  even  greater  energy  ;  for  the 
prospect  of  work  and  an  honest  living  was  like 
sunshine  after  gloom. 

Breakfast  that  morning, — and  every  morn- 
ing, too,  for  that  matter, — consisted  of  some 
frische  baigel  (little  hard  rolls  like  doughnuts), 
some  milk  and  sweet  butter  ;  and  when  the 

meal  was  finished,  my  new  friends  showed  me 

171 


Minna. 

how  to  use  the  sewing  machine,  and  how  to 
attach  the  shoulders  to  the  capes.  From  there 
I  was  advanced  to  lining  them— the  highest  art 
of  all ;  and  it  was  but  natural  that  pride  should 
begin  it's  puffing  process,  when  my  commer- 
cial education  and  my  progress  in  it  kept  such 
flattering  pace  with  each  other. 

However,  the  memory  of  that  button-hole 
prevented  pride  from  interfering  with  the  pace, 
and  my  mistress  was  so  delighted  with  my  prog- 
ress that  she  promised  me  work  as  long  as  I 
would  stay  with  her.  She  went  further  in  the 
enthusiastic  expression  of  her  pleasure  and 
offered  to  pay  me  five  dollars  a  week,  in  addi- 
tion to  board  for  myself  and  Dady.  Five  Dol- 
lars a  Week  !  I  would  soon  be  rich  on  that ! 
I  had  never  earned  so  much  in  so  short  a  time 
except  the  guinea  in  the  London  theatre— that 
solitary  guinea.  "  Surely,  America  is  '  the  land 
of  the  free  ; '  '  I  thought. 

The  days  rolled  by,  each  bringing  its  work 
and  consequently  its  pleasures,  for  the  muffs 
and  capes  poured  in  as  fast  as  we  turned  them 
out,  and  I  was  very  happy.  One  day,  while 

we  sat  working  diligently  in  the  combination 

172 


The  Jewish  Quarter. 

parlor  and  factory,  a  sharp  rap  at  the  door  made 
us  start  suddenly.  I  opened  the  door  and  two 
burly  men  entered  without  ceremony. 

"  Working  here,  eh  ?"  said  the  larger  one  in 
German,  who  was  evidently  the  spokesman. 

"Yes,"  I  replied,  "  we're  working.  What  of 
it?" 

"What  of  it?"  he  repeated.  "Don't  you 
know  there's  a  strike  on  and  I'm  the  Walking 
Delegate  ?" 

"  Glad  to  see  you,  Mr.  Delegate,"  I  said  with 
mock  courtesy.  "  Please  come  in  and  sit 
down." 

"Say,  you're  a  little  devil,  ain't  you?  Do 
you  belong  to  the  Union  ? "  he  asked. 

His  question  reminded  me  at  once  of  the  in- 
junctions laid  upon  me  when  I  first  became  a 
member  of  the  household  ;  and,  as  I  glanced 
at  the  mistress,  I  could  see  that  she  was  quak- 
ing with  fear  lest  I  had  forgotten  them.  The 
situation  had  its  novelty  and  I  could  not  resist 
the  temptation  to  enjoy  it  ;  accordingly  I  an- 
nounced somewhat  defiantly,  that  I  did  not 
belong  to  the  Union.  The  Walking  Delegate 

looked  at  the  mistress,  then  at  me  and  back  to 

173 


Minna. 

the  mistress  again.  He  straightened  himself 
up  very  grandly  and  said,  "  Then  I  guess  I'll 
have  to  book  you  for  ten  dollars." 

"  I  guess  you  won't,"  I  replied  saucily,  and  I 
too  assumed  the  grand  air,  as  I  seated  myself 
beside  the  machine  where  I  had  been  work- 
ing. 

"  And  why  not,  my  pretty  one  ? "  asked  the 
Walking  Delegate  as  he  came  over  and  took 
up  his  position  in  front  of  me. 

"Why  not?"  I  repeated.  "Why,  because 
I'm  a  boss." 

11  You  a  boss  !  "  he  exclaimed.  "And  where 
were  you  a  boss  before  ? " 

"  In  Chicago,"  I  replied,  confident  that  if  he 
pressed  me  hard  I  could  recall  some  of  the 
things  Dr.  Leiter  had  told  me  of  that  place. 

"  Oh  !  You  came  from  Chicago  did  you  ? 
Well  your  husband  was  the  boss,  not  you,"  he 
announced  emphatically. 

Just  then  little  Dady,  attracted  by  the  loud 
talking,  came  in  from  the  kitchen,  and  seeing 
a  man  standing  before  me,  rushed  to  my  side. 
He  threw  his  little  arms  across  my  lap  and, 

looking  up  at  the  man,  he  said  defiantly. 

174 


The  Jewish  Quarter. 

"  You  leave  my  mamma  alone  or  I  fix  you. 
My  mamma  boss." 

"So,  you'll  fix  me,  will  you?"  Said  the 
Walking  Delegate  as  he  pinched  his  cheek. 
"  Say,  you're  the  kind  we  want  in  the  Union, 
comrades  that  can  fight.  Are  you  a  Union 
man  ? "  he  asked  good-naturedly. 

"  You  go  way,  I  don't  want  to  talk  to  you," 
Dady  replied.  "  Go  way  and  leave  my  mamma 
alone." 

The  delegate  looked  at  him  for  a  moment  as  if 
turning  something  over  in  his  mind.  "  Where's 
your  papa,  sonny,"  he  asked  suddenly. 

"  Popper's  dead,"  he  replied. 

"  Ah  !  Na  !  That's  it,  is  it  !  "  he  exclaimed. 
"  So  you're  a  widow,  and  that's  why  you're  your 
own  boss  !  You  continued  the  business  after 
he  died  ! " 

"Yep,"  I  answered  unconcernedly,  and  my 
reply  seemed  to  satisfy  him,  for  only  a  boss 
would  dare  answer  him  in  that  fashion.  Be- 
side, my  Dady's  innocent  testimony  was  of  the 
most  convincing  nature  and  prompted  the  man 
to  form  his  own  conclusions,  which  I  did  not 

deny.     So   I  carried  my  part  to  a  successful 

'75 


Minna. 

end  and  the  two  delegates  left,  closing  the 
door  behind  them  quite  deferentially.  When 
they  were  gone  my  mistress  jumped  up  and 
down  with  joy  at  my  success.  Had  I  blun- 
dered, she  would  have  been  obliged  to  pay  a 
fine  for  employing  non-union  labor,  and  I 
would  have  been  driven  from  my  work. 

The  strike  lasted  nearly  a  month,  and  by  the 
time  it  ended,  the  fur  season  was  over  and  I 
was  again  without  work.  By  dint  of  hard 
labor  I  had  managed  to  save  a  small  sum  from 
my  earnings,  to  which  I  added  a  smaller 
amount  by  turning  again  to  the  old  standby 
of  button-hole  making.  But  the  work  in  that 
line  was  slack  ;  and  finding  myself  with  too 
much  leisure  I  decided  to  see  if  there  was  not 
something  else  I  could  do.  I  was  tired  of 
having  plenty  of  work  for  a  short  time  and 
then  no  work  for  a  long  time,  and  I  longed  for 
something  better  to  do  for  Dady's  sake. 

Glancing  through  a  German  paper  one  day, 
I  read  the  advertisement  of  a  school  for  mid- 
wifery. I  thought  it  over  and  finally  decided 
it  must  be  a  very  good  business  ;  so  the  next 

day  I  answered  the  advertisement,  and  being 

176 


"  You  leave  my  mama  alone  or  I  fix  you.    My  mama  boss." 


The  Jewish  Quarter. 

told  I  could  enter  the  school  by  paying  ten 
dollars,  I  paid  the  money  and  began  my  studies. 
They  gave  me  books  to  read  at  home,  and  with 
the  assistance  of  a  German  woman  next  door, 
who  helped  me  with  the  larger  words,  I  found 
that  I  could  make  considerable  progress.  All 
the  time  I  could  spare  from  my  work  of  mak- 
ing button-holes,  I  spent  in  reading  and  study- 
ing those  books  ;  and,  as  there  was  little 
to  do  at  the  school,  I  did  all  the  studying  at 
home. 

One  day,  a  baby  that  lived  not  far  from  us 
was  taken  ill,  and  the  mother  declared  that 
some  one  had  looked  at  it  with  "  the  evil  eye." 
The  superstitious  Jews  believe  that  if  any  one 
looks  at  a  baby  without  saying  "  Kanen  hore" 
and  the  child  happens  to  fall  sick,  it  is  a  victim 
of  "  the  evil  eye  "  ;  and  either  the  mother  or 
some  relative  will  run  with  the  baby's  cap  to  a 
Rabbi,  or  to  some  woman  believed  to  be  gifted, 
that  a  prayer  may  be  said  over  the  cap  and  the 
child  restored  to  health.  I  was  aware  of  this 
superstition  when  I  met  the  mother  of  the  sick 
baby  rushing  through  the  street,  moaning  and 

wailing  that  her  child  would  die  if  she  did  not 
12  177 


Minna. 

have  a  prayer  said  over  it's  cap,  so  I  stopped 
her,  and  taking  the  cap  from  her  hand,  I  bowed 
my  head  very  solemnly  over  it  and  muttered  to 
myself  :  "  Your  mother  is  a  fool — and  your 
father  must  be  a  bigger  one — and  I  hope  you 
will  have  more  sense  than  both  of  them — and 
when  you  grow  up  you  will  not  believe  in 
these  superstitions." 

To  make  a  greater  impression  I  wrinkled 
my  forehead,  raised  my  eyes  skyward  and 
pressed  my  lips  tightly  together  ;  then,  sud- 
denly handing  the  cap  back  to  the  woman  I 
commanded  her  to  hurry  home,  place  the  cap 
on  the  baby's  head  without  speaking  a  word  to 
any  one,  lick  its  forehead  three  times  and  put 
it  to  bed.  She  did  so  ;  and  a  few  hours  later 
the  child  awoke,  bright  eyed  and  well  as  ever. 
I  had  cured  my  first  case— a  tired  baby. 

It  was  soon  known  throughout  the  Jewish 
quarter  that  I  could  "Sprechen  nahores"  (re- 
move an  evil  spell)  ;  and,  as  some  had  heard 
that  I  was  studying  midwifery,  I  was  looked 
upon  as  a  highly  educated,  refined  and  religious 
woman.  I  continued  to  study,  and  my  increas- 
ing reputation  served  to  support  us  through 

178 


The  Jewish  Quarter. 

the   entire   winter   and  pay   my  fees   at  the 
school. 

I  was  delighted  that  the  distasteful  work  on 
button-holes  and  furs  was  now  behind  me, 
and  I  was  permitted  to  look  forward  to  better 
things.  There  had  been  other  times  when  the 
future  looked  bright  only  to  darken  again, 
but  I  felt  that  now  I  was  truly  in  a  better  way, 
for  progress  seemed  to  depend  more  on  my- 
self than  on  some  one  else's  fancy. 

My  past  experiences  with  these  people,  the 
only  class  I  had  ever  known,  had  proved  con- 
clusively to  me  that  to  live  always  with  them 
was  an  impossibility  ;  that  somehow  there  was 
that  within  me  which  made  them  seem  different. 
Oh,  so  different  !  Though  their  religion  calls 
for  supreme  cleanliness,  they  are  far  removed 
from  it ;  though  they  are  naturally  faithful  and 
honorable  toward  each  other,  they  know 
not  how  to  display  it  in  any  but  their  own 
coarse  ways.  Their  habits  of  life  in  general— 
their  jokes  and  their  quarrels,  had  been  offen- 
sive to  me  from  my  very  childhood  ;  and  the 
thought  of  raising  my  boy  among  such  sur- 
roundings filled  me  with  apprehension. 

179 


Minna. 

"  Away  !  Away  from  these  people  then  for 
my  baby's  sake  ! "  And  with  such  thoughts  I 
bent  to  my  studies  with  a  will — a  will  that 
conquers— a  will  that  wins. 


180 


BOOK   THE   SECOND. 

HOPE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

DR.    MINNA. 

"  MY  dear  girl ;  I  congratulate  you  on  your 
success.  I  am  proud  of  you."  Harry's  face 
beamed  with  pleasure  and  satisfaction.  "  There 
were  some  women  in  the  sitting-room  and  they 
think  you  are  a  marvel.  I'm  blest  if  the  old 
lady  doesn't  believe  the  baby  is  pretty  because 
you  are." 

"  Careful,  Herr  Dokter,"  I  replied.  "  You 
mustn't  let  enthusiasm  for  your  protege  run 
away  with  your  good  sense." 

"Oh,  I  know  all  about  that.  But  really 
your  professional  conduct  with  the  patient  was 
all  that  anybody  could  want.  They  told  me 
they  were  very  much  pleased ;  you  showed 
such  delicacy  and  tact.  You  are  a  born 
doctor." 

"  Well,  if  the  bank  account  is  any  criterion, 

Harry,    I    am   a   success.     It   is   growing   to 

183 


Minna. 

undreamed  proportions.  But  I  have  you  to 
thank  for  that." 

"  Nothing  of  the  kind.  That  bank  account 
is  the  result  of  brains  and  talent— and  appli- 
cation. If  all  the  others  in  that  night-school 
make  as  good  doctors  as  you  have,  the  experi- 
ment will  be  a  success.  But  you  go  to  bed 
now,  you  must  be  tired  after  your  long  vigil 
in  the  sick-room.  Besides,  it  is  late  and  there 
is  nothing  so  wearing  on  a  doctor  as  this  night 
service.  Lebensie  wohlFrau  Dokter,  see  you  in 
the  morning." 

He  left  me  in  his  usual  breezy  way,  and  I 
sat  down  to  rest  for  a  moment. 

It  is  good  to  know  Dr.  Leiter.  His  gener- 
ous nature  and  vigorous  way  of  doing  things 
are  irresistible.  Ever  since  I  resigned  myself 
to  his  direction,  things  have  changed.  So 
much  has  happened  in  the  space  of  three  short 
years,  and  all  because  the  old  stubborn  resist- 
ance is  laid  aside.  Can  it  be  possible  that  I 
am  the  same  ignorant  person  who,  three  years 
ago  treated  a  dirty  patient  in  the  Jewish 
Quarter  of  New  York  for  "  Grippe  "  when  he 

had  the  small-pox  ?    After  all,  that  was  a  fortu- 

184 


Dr.  Minna. 

nate  mistake  ;  for,  though  it  did  get  me  into 
trouble  with  the  city  medical  authorities  and 
nearly  put  me  in  prison,  it  forced  me  out  of 
New  York  and  made  me  listen  to  Harry's  ad- 
vice. It  is  true  that  the  very  things  which 
cause  trouble  and  anxiety  often  turn  out  for  the 
best.  But  that  small-pox  case  is  a  standing 
joke  with  Harry,  though  I  owe  my  escape  to  his 
influence  and  timely  presence  in  New  York. 

What  a  lot  beside,  I  owe  him  and  his  love 
for  me  !  And  I  would  be  so  happy  if  he  hadn't 
told  me  he  had  ordered  that  engagement  ring. 
I  cannot  accept  it.  I  cannot.  Even  if  I  were 
ready  to  marry  without  love,  he  deserves  a 
better  fate — a  woman  who  can  love  him  as  he 
deserves.  Such  a  noble  soul  !  Gratitude  for 
what  he  has  done  for  me  is  not  enough.  Why 
can't  I  love  him  !  He  would  make  any  woman 
happy.  Such  a  protector  !  So  quick  to  see 
things  and  decide.  So  clear  in  his  judgment, 
even  if  he  is  impetuous. 

Harry  was  right  after  all,  for  everything  has 
proved  that  a  doctor's  style  of  living  has  much 
to  do  with  his  success.  How  I  rebelled  at  his 

extravagance  in  furnishing  this  apartment  so 

'85 


Minna. 

lavishly — at  taking  an  apartment  at  all  !  What 
a  fool  I  was  to  think  that  a  doctor  in  a  great 
city  like  Chicago  could  build  up  a  decent 
practice  and  live  in  cheap  quarters  where  she 
did  her  own  housework  !  Harry  was  right 
when  he  said  it  would  be  useless  for  me  to  at- 
tempt to  engage  in  the  medical  profession  un- 
less I  was  ready  to  locate  in  a  proper  neighbor- 
hood in  my  own  apartment.  "  When  you  are 
better  acquainted  with  the  profession,  you  will 
learn  that  appearances  count  a  great  deal,"  he 
said,  and  I  can  see  now  that  I  certainly  did 
know  very  little  about  it — about  anything  in 
fact.  It  is  always  the  unconscious  ignorant 
who  knows  more  than  anybody  else — especially 
a  woman.  She  fights  for  her  independence, — 
that  great  treasure  to  some  women — and  fails 
to  realize  that  fighting  is  the  very  thing  which 
keeps  her  dependent,  or  at  leasts  retards  her 
progress.  I  know  a  good  deal  more  now,  and 
I  can  see  that  resistance  spells  stagnation. 

But  that  servant  !  What  a  piece  of  ex- 
travagance it  seemed  to  the  green  girl  of  three 
years  ago  !  Now,  Lena  is  wholly  indispen- 
sable to  me,  for  how  could  I  attend  to  my  pro- 

186 


Dr.  Minna. 

fessional  visits  without  a  housekeeper  and 
some  one  to  look  after  Dady  ?  Dear  little 
fellow ;  how  he  does  grow  while  his  mother  is 
so  busy !  How  proud  he  is  when  Harry  calls 
him  "  General  !  "  Harry  must  have  foreseen 
all  that  too,  for  he  made  me  take  his  uncleY 
old  housekeeper.  "  She  will  take  an  interest 
in  you,"  he  said,  and  he  was  right. 

It  is  wonderful  when  I  look  back  at  the 
night  we  arrived  in  Chicago,  and  think  of  all 
that  has  happened  since — the  marvelous  depot 
and  the  crowd  of  people;  I  was  so  tired  after 
the  long  journey.  What  a  cheery  welcome 
Harry's  mother  gave  me  and  how  she  laughed 
when  he  introduced  me  as  the  "  famous  small- 
pox doctor  of  New  York !  "  I  was  so  ashamed ; 
but  she,  dear  old  lady,  kissed  me  as  a  mother 
would  a  daughter  and  made  me  feel  so  re- 
lieved. It  was  perfectly  clear  that  she  was 
uncertain  about  me,  whether  I  was  such  a 
woman  as  she  would  choose  for  her  son  ;  but 
she  accepted  me  for  his  sake.  Then  that 
wonderful  dinner  at  the  hotel  when  Harry 
made  me  drink  my  first  cocktail  and  intro- 
duced me  to  that  undreamed  delicacy — blue 

187 


Minna. 

points.  How  hungry  I  was,  and  how  marvel- 
ous it  all  seemed  ! 

But  the  pleasantest  memory  of  all  is  that 
shopping  tour  in  Harry's  buggy— his  "  plain- 
looking  turn-out.'  How  he  whisked  me  about 
in  his  breezy  way  and  wouldn't  listen  to  my 
protests !  How  recklessly  extravagant  it 
seemed  to  go  about  in  the  big  store  and  select 
all  these  things  for  my  apartment!  The  ma- 
hogany furniture  for  the  dining-room — the 
fixings  for  my  bedroom — everything  seemed 
so  costly  and  I  was  so  dazed  at  the  thought  of 
paying  back  my  debt.  "  You  leave  all  that  to 
me,"  Harry  said,  and  I  can  see  him  now  when 
he  said,  "  I  was  in  the  same  position  once  with 
my  uncle  who  paid  my  way  through  college 
and  then  established  me  in  my  profession.  I 
was  only  fifteen  when  he  took  me  up;  and 
when  I  graduated  from  college  he  sent  me  to 
study  medicine  and  then  paid  all  my  expenses 
during  the  first  year  of  practice." 

How  well  I  remember  that  first  dinner  in 
my  own  little  home — such  a  marvel  of  fairy- 
land it  was— when  Harry  told  me  all  these 

things!     "  He  was  a  stranger  to  me,"  I  remem- 

188 


Dr.  Minna. 

her  he  said,  "but  I  always  called  him  uncle. 
If  it  hadn't  been  for  him  I  wouldn't  be  in  a 
position  to  help  you  now.  Look  at  me  ! "  he 
said,  and  I  can  see  him  now, — so  serious  ; 
"  Look  at  me!  Do  you  think  you  ought  to  be 
more  independent  than  I?  I  am  a  man;  and 
do  you  think  it  hurt  me  to  accept  his  help  ? 
No,  not  in  the  least.  I  am  better  for  it ;  for 
now  that  he  is  dead  the  remembrance  of  my 
own  case  has  made  me  glad  to  help  others. 
You  are  a  woman  and  alone  in  the  world.  Are 
you  going  to  tell  me  that  you  want  to  fight  the 
world  unassisted  and  accept  no  help  in  the 
start  ?  Don't  worry,  my  dear  girl ;  you'll  have 
enough  to  contend  with." 

How  his  argument  impressed  me  !  After 
that  I  was  helpless  and  let  him  work  out  my 
problems  as  he  thought  best.  But  I  made 
him  promise  he  would  let  me  pay  him  back 
when  the  income  from  my  practice  warranted 
it.  That  was  my  last  faint  struggle  for  inde- 
pendence— and  he  won't  let  me  pay  him  yet. 

Then  there  was  the  night  school.  How 
lucky  the  Chicago  authorities  decided  to  open 

that  school  just  when  I  was  ready  to  go  there  ! 

189 


Minna. 

To  be  sure  some  of  the  students  are  carpen- 
ters, tailors  and  clerks,  all  expecting  to  be 
great  doctors;  but  then  the  training  was  good 
and  my  success  proves  it.  Dear  Harry ! 
Such  a  noble  soul  !  I  must  learn  to  love  him. 
I  must.  He  deserves  it.  Everything  I  have, 
everything  I  am,  is  due  to  him. 

Then  there's  Ella  ;  she's  had  a  large  hand 
in  it  too.  I  can  see  her  now  when  Harry  pre- 
sented me  to  her,  too,  as  the  "  famous  small- 
pox physician  of  New  York."  Will  he  never 
get  done  plaguing  me  about  that !  How  she 
laughed  !  And  how  sweetly  she  said,  "  I  hope 
you  didn't  bring  any  of  the  small-pox  with 
you."  And  then  Harry  assured  her  that  she 
needn't  worry,  that  if  I  had,  I  would  cure 
them  all.  But  she  was  so  good  and  helped  me 
select  all  the  little  things  for  housekeeping  that 
only  a  woman  knows  about ;  and  when  I  pro- 
tested against  buying  so  many  things  she  said 
she  was  under  Harry's  orders  and  had  to  do  it. 
Poor  girl !  She  had  already  learned  to  obey 
him.  She  already  knew  that  it  made  no  differ- 
ence what  we  thought  or  felt,  he  did  what  he 

thought  best  and  it  was  useless  to  resist. 

190 


Dr.  Minna. 

And  then  that  first  night  in  my  parlor 
when  she  played  the  piano !  I  thought  it 
strange  that  her  playing  had  so  much  sadness 
in  it ;  but  now  I  know,  for  I  have  seen  many 
proofs  that  she  loves  him.  Poor  girl!  It 
must  have  been  a  trial  to  see  the  man  she  loves 
show  a  preference  for  some  one  else.  And 
he  shows  it  so  plainly  even  in  her  presence. 
I  must  rebuke  him  for  that.  Ella  is  good,  she 
is  tender  and  she  has  the  soul  of  an  artist. 
No  wonder  her  pictures  are  a  success  !  She 
has  so  much  sympathy  and  feeling.  But 
Harry  says  she  doesn't  paint  as  she  did.  He 
says  that  lately  she  won't  touch  the  brush. 
Poor  fellow  !  He  little  imagines  that  she  is 
eating  her  heart  out  for  him  and  I  am  the 
cause  of  it.  I  wish  I  had  known  all  these 
things  when  I  sent  that  letter  of  gratitude  to 
Harry.  I'm  afraid  my  feelings  ran  away  with 
me  and  I  gave  him  too  much  encouragement. 
If  I  had  only  known!— But  then  all  he  had 
done  for  me  overwhelmed  me  with  such  grati- 
tude. And  I  only  thought  to  repay  him  with 
appreciation.  If  I  had  only  known  ! 

Perhaps  all  this  has  something  to  do  with 
191 


Minna. 

Ella's  anarchistic  tendencies.  She's  taught 
me  a  great  deal  about  their  noble  hopes  for 
the  working  man.  Poor  things  !  They  are  so 
oppressed  !  Their  meetings  are  certainly  very 
interesting.  The  first  one  was  a  shock,  but 
now  I  wholly  sympathize  with  them  even  if 
they  are  Anarchists.  And  she  has  promised 
to  take  me  to  another  meeting  to-morrow 
night.  To-morrow  night !  Why  it's  to-mor- 
row now  ! 

I  must  go  to  bed  ;  I've  so_much  to  do  to- 
morrow. 


192 


CHAPTER  II. 

RED   FLAG   ELOQUENCE. 

"  FELLOW  workmen  of  Chicago,  it  is  time 
we  open  our  eyes  and  see  for  ourselves  how 
these  brutal  capitalists  are  slaughtering  our 
sons  and  ruining  our  daughters  ! " 

The  speaker's  voice  rang  strong  and  clear 
through  the  hall  and  thrilled  me  to  rapt  at- 
tention. 

"  They  are  only  young  girls,"  he  went  on, 
11  and  they  are  not  properly  fed  ;  while  those 
men  do  nothing  and  live  high  by  our  hard 
labor.  Many  of  you  have  come  here  to-night 
without  overcoats  and  it's  cold.  You've 
worked  in  the  shops  all  day,  making  coats  for 
the  rich  to  wear,  while  they  pay  you  starvation 
wages  and  you  come  here  without  enough 
clothes  to  keep  you  warm.  Are  you  going  to 
stand  this  any  longer  ?  Are  you  going  to  let 
these  people  drive  your  wives  to  take  in  wash- 
ing and  help  you  keep  your  children  from 

going  naked  in  the  street  ?    You,  shoemakers, 
13  193 


Minna. 

you  work  in  the  factories  to  make  shoes  for 
others  to  wear  ;  but  look  at  your  own  !  You, 
tailors,  you  work  at  the  bench  to  make  clothes 
for  others  to  wear  ;  but  look  at  your  own  !  You, 
bakers,  you  work  at  the  ovens  to  feed  the  rich  ; 
but  look  at  your  own  children,  half  starved  ! 
The  law  of  this  country  says  that  every  man  is 
equal  in  the  eyes  of  the  law.  Are  we  equal  ? 
Can  you  ask  for  better  wages  and  get  them  ? 
Every  man  of  you  has  the  right  to  provide  for 
his  children  by  the  sweat  of  his  brow,  but  are 
you  doing  it  ?  The  boss  who  owns  the  busi- 
ness pays  you  small  wages  for  long  hours. 
The  landlord  who  owns  the  house  robs  your 
earnings  for  big  rents  for  small  lodgings.  The 
merchants  who  own  the  goods  make  you  pay 
big  profits  on  cheap  articles.  What  can  you 
do  ?  Can  you  refuse  to  pay  ?  No,  you  are 
put  out !  Can  you  do  without  the  goods  ? 
No,  you'll  freeze,  you'll  starve  !  Can  you  ask 
for  more  wages  ?  No,  they'll  discharge  you  ! 
Comrades,  it  is  time  for  us  to  make  these 
people  fear  us— fear  to  starve  us — fear  to  cheat 
us  !  We  are  a  strong  body  if  we  stand  to- 
gether !  Are  you  ready  ? " 

194 


Red  Flag  Eloquence. 

The  speaker  was  a  young  man  with  that 
power  of  voice  and  gesture  to  move  a  multi- 
tude ;  and  as  he  shouted  his  threats  and  his 
questions,  he  walked  up  and  down  the  plat- 
form addressing  his  audience  with  that  fiery 
eloquence  that  stirs  the  hearer  to  action  whether 
he  will  or  not.  His  last  question  brought' the 
audience  to  their  feet  ;  and  with  yells  and 
cheers  and  waving  of  hats  they  shouted,  "Yes, 
we  are !  " 

A  second  speaker  arose  on  the  platform  and 
addressed  them  in  even  more  fiery  language. 
He  closed  his  speech  with  "  Shoot  the  tyrants  ! 
Down  with  the  police  !  "  I  could  stand  it  no 
longer.  I  rose  in  my  seat  with  Harry  pulling 
at  my  skirt  and  calling  to  me  to  sit  down,  but 
I  would  not  listen. 

"  Fellow  workers  !  "  I  began  ;  but  the  tu- 
mult drowned  my  voice.  "  Fellow  workers  !  " 
I  shouted  ;  and  some  few  who  heard  me  cried 
"  Sh  !  Sh  !  Hear  the  comrade  !  Hear  the 
comrade  ! " 

After  a  time  the  noise  ceased  and  hardly 
knowing  what  I  was  saying,  my  cheeks  burn- 
ing as  if  they  were  on  fire,  I  spoke. 

195 


Minna. 

"  Fellow  workers ;  I  am  only  just  come 
among  you  and  the  speakers  here  to-night 
have  touched  my  heart." 

"  Hurrah  !"  the  audience  shouted.  "Hur- 
rah !  Go  on  !  Go  on  !  " 

The  sea  of  faces  turned  toward  me  and  I  felt 
encouraged. 

"I  have  not  been  in  this  country  very  long, 
I  am  from  another  land  where  the  people 
are  down-trodden  ;  but  I've  been  here  long 
enough  to  know  that  you  are  the  best  paid 
workers  on  earth." 

"  Put  her  out !  Put  her  out !  "  yelled  the  rab- 
ble Anarchists. 

"  Go  on  !  Go  on  !  "  the  leaders  shouted. 

"  Listen,"  I  continued  when  the  uproar 
subsided.  "  I  say  these  things  not  to  belittle 
you,  but  to  turn  your  sympathy  toward  your 
more  unfortunate  brothers.  In  Russia,  where 
I  come  from,  the  wages  you  get  would  make 
the  average  worker  feel  like  a  prince.  You, 
shoemakers,  you  get  in  a  week  what  your  fel- 
low workers  in  Russia  get  in  six  months  !  You, 
bakers,  you  receive  in  a  month  more  than 

your  brothers  get  in  a  year  in  Russia  !     And 

196 


Red  Flag  Eloquence. 

if  they  complain  what  do  they  get  ?  They  are 
beaten  and  cast  into  prison  !  When  they 
rise  to  fight  for  their  rights  the  soldiers  of  the 
government  shoot  them  down  like  dogs  1  Here, 
you  have  the  capitalists  to  fight,  but  the  law  is 
with  you.  There,  they  have  the  government 
to  fight  and  there  is  no  law  with  them.  They 
ask  for  a  voice  in  making  the  laws  and  they 
are  beaten  and  cast  into  prison  !  They  rise  in 
defense  of  their  rights  and  are  shot  down  like 
dogs  !  They  cry  for  bread  and  get  the  knout ! 
Fellow  workers,  I  want  your  help  to  assist 
those  people.  Help  me  to  help  them  and  I 
will  help  you  to  help  yourselves  !  " 

I  sat  down  amidst  loud  cries  of  "  Shoot  the 
tyrants  !  ".  "  Down  with  the  Czar  !  "  "Viva  for 
Anarchy! "  "  Viva  for  Anarchy ! " 

A  man  approached  me  and,  as  I  looked  up  at 
his  towering  figure,  I  saw  to  my  astonishment 
that  he  was  a  Russian  and  a  nobleman.  Young 
and  handsome,  his  bright,  intellectual  eyes 
looked  me  through  and  through,  as  though  he 
would  search  my  soul. 

"  Madame,"  he  said  in  German,  "  I  trust  you 

will   pardon    my  intrusion,  but   your   words 

197 


Minna. 

have  stirred  me  to  a  desire  to  know  you  better. 
I  am  a  stranger  here,  and  glad  to  meet  a  coun- 
trywomen. But,  tell  me,  pray,  what  part  of 
Russia  do  you  come  from,  and  who  is  it  be- 
longing to  you  that  suffers  in  Siberia  ?" 

"  I  know  of  no  one  belonging  to  me  who 
suffers  in  Siberia.  But  does  it  matter  ?  Is  not 
the  whole  land  full  of  horrors  ?  Are  not  the 
people  slain  in  the  streets  ?  Can  one  help  feel- 
ing for  them  though  they  are  not  brothers  or 
sisters  ? " 

"And  what  do  you  propose  to  do?" 

"  All  that  in  good  time.  But  tell  me  what 
part  of  Russia  do  you  come  from  and  what 
brings  you  here  ? " 

"  All  that  in  good  time,"  he  replied  with  a 
smile.  "  I  come  from  Moscow  and  St.  Peters- 
burg. I  rule  in  both  cities  and  divide  my  time 
between  them.  Since  we  are  both  from  Rus- 
sia, I  pray  your  further  acquaintance.  My 
card,"  he  said,  bowing  graciously,  "  I  have  the 
pleasure." 

I  took  the  card  and  glancing  at  it,  read  the 

name 

Count  <&$tat  Jiarapot. 

198 


Red  Flag  Eloquence. 

In  the  lower  left-hand  corner  was  his  family 
crest  ;  and  the  initials  of  his  titles,  which  fol- 
lowed the  name,  showed  him  to  be  a  prince 
and  connected  with  the  royal  house. 

Harry  stepped  forward  and  taking  the  card 
officiously  from  my  hand  presented  his  own 
to  the  Count.  "  I  am  Dr.  Leiter,"  he  said, 
"  and  this  lady's  guardian.  I  shall  be  happy  to 
see  you  at  my  residence  to-morrow  evening,  if 
convenient." 

No  one  could  look  at  the  man  and  his  card 
and  doubt  him.  I  extended  my  hand,  which 
he  grasped  warmly.  "I  shall  ask  Dr.  Leiter 
to  bring  you  to  my  apartment  to-morrow  even- 
ing," I  said,  and  withdrew  my  hand  from  his 
lingering  clasp. 

Outside  the  night  was  cold  and  crisp  ;  and 
the  snow  crunched  beneath  our  feet  as  it  used 
to  do  in  the  old,  old  days  in  Russia.  The 
events  of  the  evening  had  fired  me  to  a  fever 
of  excitement  and  I  failed  to  feel  the  cold. 
Somehow  that  man  lingered  in  my  mind  ;  and 
I  was  conscious  that  he  had  created  in  me  a 
feeling  that  his  coming  into  my  life  meant 

more  than  a  passing  acquaintance.     "  What  is 

199 


Minna. 

this  feeling  that  has  come  over  me  ?  What 
does  it  mean  ?" 

Harry  broke  the  silence.  "  Well,  you  have 
put  your  foot  in  it.  You're  an  Anarchist  now, 
full-fledged.  You'll  have  the  whole  pack  of 
them  down  on  you  to  make  you  keep  your 
word." 

"  She  did  just  right,"  said  Ella,  "  I  just  felt 
every  word  she  said.  The  working  classes  of 
to-day  suffer  great  hardships  and  their  con- 
dition is  growing  worse.  I  believe  just  as  they 
do,  that  the  working  man  will  never  have  a 
chance  until  the  capitalists  realize  that  they 
are  an  outraged  class  to  be  feared.  It's  a 
shame  the  way  these  poor  hard-working  men 
are  made  to  suffer  !  " 

"  Ella  is  right,"  I  said.  "  The  capitalists  are 
in  danger,  but  it  is  their  own  fault.  They  are 
pressing  the  working  men  too  hard  and  cutting 
their  wage,  while  they  give  large  sums  to  chari- 
ties and  build  cathedrals  and  big  churches. 
I'm  afraid  this  affair  is  going  to  turn  out  to  be 
very  serious,  and  pretty  soon,  for  the  working 
men  are  getting  excited.  I  fully  sympathize 
with  them  and  I  shall  go  to  more  of  their 


200 


Red  Flag  Eloquence. 

meetings.  I  want  to  do  something  for  them  and 
for  their  brothers  in  Russia.  I've  been  study- 
ing this  subject  for  some  time  ! " 

"  You  sly  girl,"  said  Harry.  "  Here  I've 
been  watching  your  success  as  a  physician  and 
never  dreamed  you  were  thinking  of  anything 
else.  I'll  see  you  don't  get  ahead  of  me  again." 
And  he  laughed  in  his  good-natured  way. 
Nothing  is  worth  treating  seriously  in  Harry's 
estimation. 

"  Please  don't  call  me  a  girl,  Harry.  I  may 
have  been  once,  but  things  have  changed  me 
since  I  came  here.  Three  years  in  Chicago 
can  teach  a  person  a  great  deal,  especially  if 
that  person  has  already  suffered  much.  Here 
we  are  at  Ella's  street,"  I  added,  by  way  of 
changing  the  subject. 

When  we  had  seen  her  safely  home  we 
went  on  toward  my  apartment. 

"  If  the  Count  comes  to  see  you  to-morrow 
night,  don't  forget  to  bring  him  around,  will 
you,  Harry  ?  I  want  to  get  better  acquainted 
with  him." 

"Ah,  ha!  So  you've  fallen  in  love,  have 
you  !  This  is  going  to  be  nice.  Why  do  you 


2OI 


Minna. 

want  to  invite  the  poor  man  to  see  you  ? 
You'll  only  freeze  him  after  you  know  him." 

"  Why  do  you  think  I'll  freeze  him  after  I 
know  him  ? " 

"  I'll  tell  you,  Minna  ;  you'll  get  the  young 
man  to  come,  he  will  fall  in  love  with  you,  and 
then  you'll  tell  him  that  you  cannot  love  him. 
I'm  afraid,  my  dear  girl,  when  it  comes  to  real 
love,  you  don't  know  what  it  is." 

"  Are  you  speaking  of  love,  Harry  ?  Then 
let  me  tell  you  something.  The  muscle  in  that 
heart  which  you  are  boasting  of,  is  well  de- 
veloped in  me.  Those  funny  strings  which 
construct  its  four  chambers  are  in  the  best 
order.  Three  of  these  chambers  are  already 
inhabited  ;  one  by  my  unknown  mother  and 
one  by  my  boy.  In  the  third  I  have  packed 
you  and  Ella ;  and  the  fourth — is  still  vacant. 
While  you  are  speaking  of  love,  I  want  to  as- 
sure you  that  I  do  know  what  love  is.  To  fill 
that  one  vacant  chamber,  it  would  take  wagon 
loads,  car  loads,  oceans  and  worlds  of  love. 
Love,  so  powerful  and  strong  that  before  it 
the  whole  world  trembles  in  fear.  Love  so 
glorious  and  bright  that  the  sun  in  comparison 

202 


Red  Flag  Eloquence. 

is  but  a  candle  light.  A  love  pleading,  soft, 
and  innocent  as  a  child  ;  intoxicating,  noble 
and  great.  A  love  that  asks  no  questions  ; 
that  trusts  and  does  not  fear.  A  love  that  will 
sacrifice  everything — parents,  wealth,  title  and 
country — and,  facing  all,  bravely  say,  'Yes,  I 
love  and  do  not  care.'  Such  a  love  would 
make  of  a  dwarf  and  craven,  a  giant  and  hero. 
Oh,  Harry !  To  love^as  my  mother  loved — 
once  and  forever  !  I  am  craving  and  starving 
for  one  spark  of  its  fire.  Do  you  think  you 
can  give  it  ?  Ah  no,  my  boy,  you  can  only  be 
my  brother.  Take  my  advice  and  marry 
Ella.  When  such  a  woman  loves,  there  is 
none  other  to  compare  with  her." 

"  Except  the  girl  who  loves  the  whole 
world  too  much  to  select  a  single  object  for 
her  affection.  When  is  your  next  meeting  ? " 

"  Friday  night.  But  why  do  you  always 
change  that  subject  ?" 

"  Never  mind  about  that.  I'll  be  at  the 
meeting.  Leben  sie  wohl"  he  said  cheerily 
and  left  me  at  my  door. 


203 


CHAPTER  III. 

COUNT    KARAPOT. 

"WELL,  Minna,  I've  consulted  your  wishes 
this  time  and  brought  the  Count  ;  but  I  can 
tell  you  I  didn't  have  to  coax  very  hard.  He 
was  restless  enough  until  I  suggested  that  we 
come  over  here." 

Harry  proceeded  to  make  himself  comfort- 
able. 

"  Well,  you've  taken  a  long  time  to  get  here, 
but  I'm  glad  you  came.  Count  Karapot,  this 
is  my  friend  Miss  Stevens.  We  are  a  happy 
family  here  and  I  hope  you  will  make  yourself 
at  home." 

The  Count  bowed  to  Ella  with  courtly 
grace. 

"  I  see  you  survived  your  Anarchist  experi- 
ence of  last  evening,"  he  said,  grasping  my 
hand  warmly,  "  you  look  as  fresh  as  though  you 
were  accustomed  to  stirring  audiences  with 

fiery  speeches  every  night." 

204 


Count  Karapot. 

11  Perhaps  I  am,"  I  replied  ;  "  but  I  do  feel 
the  effects  of  it,  though  apparently  I  am  for- 
tunate enough  not  to  show  it.  Won't  you  be 
seated  ? " 

"They  say  physicians  ought  to  know  best 
how  to  care  for  themselves,"  said  the  Count  as 
he  seated  himself  in  a  big  leather  chair  ;  "  but 
my  experience  has  fyeen  that  they  give  pills 
and  advice  freely  to  Bothers,  but  take  little 
themselves.  How  long  have  you  been  prac- 
ticing, may  I  ask  ? " 

44  Three  years  in  Chicago  ;  but  I  had  a  little 
professional  experience  in  New  York  before  I 
came  here." 

"  I  should  say  she  did,"  laughed  Harry. 
"  She  nearly  killed  a  man.  Why,  she  treated  a 
patient  for  Grippe  when  he  had  the  small-pox, 
and  then  got  into  trouble  with  the  Health 
Board." 

"  Now  don't  tease  her  any  more  about  that," 
Ella  pleaded.  "  Aren't  you  ever  going  to  let 
her  forget  it  ? " 

"  Never  mind,  Ella,  that  was  the  best  thing 
that  ever  happened  to  me.  I  must  inform  you, 

Count,  that  I  owe  my  escape  and  subsequent 

205 


Minna. 

success  to  this  teasing  friend  of  mine.  But 
you  mustn't  mind  him,  he's  only  an  overgrown 
boy." 

"  Pray,  tell  me,"  asked  the  Count,  "  is  it  only 
four  years  since  you  left  Russia  ?  If  that  is 
not  asking  too  much  ? " 

"  No,  indeed,  Count  Karapot,  we  are  accus- 
tomed to  speak  freely  here  ;  and  it  is  my  favor- 
ite theory  that  the  only  way  to  be  understood, 
the  only  way  to  keep  people  from  making  a 
mistake  about  you,  is  to  tell  the  truth  about 
yourself — always.  It  is  now  eight  years  since 
I  left  Russia.  I  was  in  Hamburg  three  years, 
in  London  eight  months,  a  year  in  New  York 
and  three  years  here." 

"  You  must  have  been  very  young  when  you 
left  Russia,  then.  It  is  surprising  to  me  that 
you  are  such  an  advanced  revolutionist." 

"  I've  carried  enough  of  my  childhood  with 
me  to  last  the  rest  of  my  life,  and  to  make  me 
teach  my  boy  never  to  set  foot  on  Russian  soil." 

"  You  have  a  child  ? "  asked  the  Count  in 
surprise.  "  Why  you  are  only  a  child  yourself." 

11  Yes,  I  have  a  son.    He  was  born  to  me  in 

Hamburg  when  I  was  but  a  mere  girl ;  and  the 

206 


Count  Karapot. 

suffering  my  child  and  I  went  through  could 
only  happen  to  those  unfortunate  enough  to  be 
born  a  Russian  Jew." 

"  Why,  last  night  I  heard  you  pleading  for 
your  country.  I  am  eager  to  know  what  it  can 
be  that  has  embittered  you  so  against  your 
fatherland." 

"  No,  Count,  excuse  me  ;  it  was  not  my  coun- 
try but  the  unfortunate  people  of  black  Russia 
that  I  pleaded  for.  My  country  is  America 
and  it  shall  be  the  home  of  my  child.  You 
ask  what  has  embittered  me  so  ?  Here,  read 
this  silken  sheet,  written  by  a  suffering  Jewess 
in  your  country  many  years  ago.  It  was  given 
to  me  in  a  locket  that  was  hung  about  my  neck 
on  my  wedding  day,  when  I  was  thirteen  and 
married  against  my  will  to  a  hopeless  looking 
Yeshiva  Bocher.  Harry,  don't  leave  the  room. 
Ella  please  stay  here,  you  both  know  all  about 
it." 

"  Oh,  we're  only  going  to  the  dining-room 
after  some  fruit ! " 

"  This  is  sad,"  said  the  Count,  handing  back 
the  letter.  "The  signature  is  blurred.  Has  it 

always  been  so?" 

207 


Minna. 

"  Yes.  It  has  always  been  blurred  and  I 
have  never  been  able  to  decipher  it." 

"  It  is  too  bad,  that  you  must  be  kept  in  ig- 
norance of  your  mother's  identity.  How  she 
must  have  suffered  !  " 

"  I  have  always  planned  that  some  day  I 
would  go  to  Russia  and  locate  my  parents  if 
possible.  That  day  has  arrived ;  for  now  that 
my  profession  has  placed  me  in  a  position  to 
carry  out  my  plans,  I  am  arranging  to  start  for 
Russia  immediately." 

"That  is  fortunate,  indeed  ;  for  I  expect  to 
return  there  myself  very  shortly.  Perhaps  I 
can  be  of  service  to  you." 

"  If  you  could  give  me  any  aid,  Count  Kara- 
pot,  I  would  be  only  too  grateful." 

"  I  shall  place  myself  at  your  service  gladly ; 
and  I  am  sure  I  can  help  you  a  great  deal. 
The  mission  for  my  government  which  has 
kept  me  in  this  country  for  nearly  two  years,  is 
now  almost  ended.  When  you  are  ready  to 
start  for  Russia,  pray,  let  me  know.  I  shall  be 
only  too  happy  to  provide  you  with  all  neces- 
sary letters." 

"  I  thank  you,  Count  Karapot,  I  shall  indeed 

208 


Count  Karapot 

be  glad  to  avail  myself  of  them.  You  speak  of 
a  mission  for  your  government.  Did  they 
send  you  amongst  the  Anarchists  here  to  look 
for  firebrands  ? " 

"  Firebrands,  my  dear  Madame,  are  not  to  be 
found  among  the  Anarchists.  I  sought  some 
one  in  the  interest  of  my  government ;  and  I 
had  reason  to  believe  that  the  person  I  sought 
might  be  found  among  ihem.  But  permit  me 
to  say  that  when  you  know  more  about  the 
Anarchists,  you  will  find  they  are  an  ignorant 
set,  unworthy  of  serious  consideration." 

"  Oh,  Count  !  Don't  you  think  you  are  too 
severe  on  them  ? " 

"  No,  I'm  not.  There  are,  no  doubt,  a  few 
sincere  people  among  them,  but  very  few, 
especially  here  in  America.  Your  Anarchists 
are  composed  of  two  classes  ;  the  leaders  who 
make  a  great  noise  with  their  fiery  speeches, 
and  the  honest  working  men  who  are  led  as- 
tray by  them.  The  first  are  a  lazy  set  who  live 
on  the  earnings  of  the  second.  Believe  me, 
my  dear  Madame,  they  are  a  lot  of  cowards. 
Just  shoot  beans  and  you  will  see  them  run." 

"  I  thank  you,  Count  Karapot,  for  your  warn- 
14  209 


Minna. 

ing  and  the  kindly  interest  you  have  shown  in 
my  affairs." 

"  Not  at  all.  Not  at  all.  I  consider  it  a  duty 
to  do  all  I  can  to  recompense  that  wrong  of 
my  fatherland.  I  shall  ask  you,  however,  to 
defer  your  departure  until  the  arrival  of  a  letter 
which  I  expect  from  Russia  in  three  weeks.  I 
shall  then  be  able  to  accompany  you,  at  least 
as  far  as  New  York,  and  see  you  safely  on 
board  the  steamer." 

"  Oh,  Count  Karapot,  I  am  afraid  that  will 
put  you  to  too  much  trouble.  Please  don't 
inconvenience  yourself  on  my  account." 

"  Pray,  don't  speak  of  it.  I  shall  be  only  too 
happy  to  see  you  safely  started  on  your  mission 
to  the  fatherland,  your  great  wish  at  last  ful- 
filled." 

"  Your  pardon,  Count  Karapot.  You  mean 
a  part  of  my  great  wish.  The  other,  the 
more  difficult  of  fulfilment,  may  never  be 
realized." 

"  I  beg  of  you  not  to  look  at  it  in  that  light. 
Surely,  if  the  wishes  of  your  friends  can  in- 
fluence it,  the  fulfilment  will  be  far  beyond 
your  expectation.  I  bid  you  good-night." 

210 


Count  Karapot. 

"  Wait  a  moment,"  Harry  called,  "  I'm 
coming  too.  Good-night,  girls."  And  they  left 
together. 

"  Minna,"  Ella  asked  when  they  had  gone, 
"  don't  you  think  you  were  a  bit  too  unreserved 
with  the  Count?" 

"  No  indeed.  You  know  I  always  like  to  tell 
people  the  truth  about  myself  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible ;  and  besides,  I  feel  an  impulse,  stronger 
than  I  can  resist,  to  have  the  Count  think  well 
of  me.  He  seems  like  a  long-lost  brother." 

"  Well !  I  always  liked  you,  Minna,  but  now, 
I  love  you." 

"  And  why  do  you  especially  love  me  to- 
night ? " 

"  Because  I  see  that  you  like  the  Count  better 
than  you  do  Harry." 

"  I  should  think  you  would  be  angry  with 
me  instead  of  glad.  But  where  did  you  get 
that  ring  ? " 

*'  I  found  it  on  your  dresser  this  evening  and, 
as  you  didn't  seem  to  want  it,  I  slipped  it  on 
my  finger.  Was  it  very  wrong  in  me  to  do 
it?" 

"Did  Harry  see  it  there?" 


Minna. 

"  Yes.  He  noticed  it  when  we  went  to  the 
dining-room  while  the  Count  was  reading  your 
mother's  letter." 

"  And  what  did  he  say  ? " 

"  Oh,  Minna  !  How  can  I  ever  tell  you  ! 
I'm  so  happy  !  He  asked  me  where  I  got  it 
and  I  told  him  how  I  found  it  and  that  I 
didn't  mean  him  to  see  it.  He  looked  very 
serious  for  a  moment  and  then  he  said — Oh, 
Minna  !  How  can  I  tell  you  !  " 

"  Go  on,  dear  heart,  go  on.  Tell  me  all 
about  it." 

"  Well,  he  said  he  had  tried  in  every  way  to 
make  you  love  him,  but  he  thought  it  was 
about  time  to  give  it  up.  He  said  he  could 
see  that  you  would  never  care  for  him  in  the 
way  he  wanted,  and  now  that  the  Count  had 
made  such  an  impression,  there  was  no  chance 
for  him.  Then  he  turned  to  me  and  said,  so 
seriously,  '  Ella,  I've  always  had  a  fancy  for 
Minna,  but  I  guess  it  was  a  mistake.  I'm 
afraid  we  are  not  meant  for  each  other.  If 
you'll  take  her  place  I'll  do  my  best  to  be  to 
you  what  I  expected  to  be  to  her.'  And  then 
I  broke  down  and  cried  before  he  could  say 


212 


Count  Karapot. 

any  more.  I  would  rather  see  him  dead  than 
married  to  another  woman." 

"  My  dear,  dear  girl.  I  congratulate  you. 
Harry  is  a  noble  fellow  and  I  am  deeply  grate- 
ful for  all  he  has  done  for  me  ;  but  it  is  impos- 
sible for  me  to  love  him,  noble  as  he  is.  Per- 
haps I  ought  to  feel  differently  but  I  can't,  I 
can't.  When  will  the  wedding  take  place,  be- 
for  I  go  to  Russia  ? " 

"  Harry  says  he  leaves  all  that  to  me.  When 
do  you  expect  to  start  ?  " 

"  Within  a  month  ;  and  it  grieves  me  so  to 
think  of  leaving  my  Dady  behind.  But  I 
don't  know  where  I'm  going  nor  where  I'll 
end ;  so  I  think  the  wisest  plan  will  be  to  leave 
him  with  you.  I  shall  know  then  that  he  is  in 
good  hands.  But  don't  take  too  good  care  of 
him,  he  might  forget  his  mother." 

"  That  needn't  bother  you.  Remember,  you 
are  leaving  me  a  big  boy  to  take  care  of,  too. 
Go  ahead  and  follow  your  plans.  We  will 
take  good  care  of  Dady  and  remind  him  often 
of  you." 

"  Dear  Ella,  I  have  looked  forward  to  it  for 

a  long  time  ;  and  now  that  I  can  well  afford  to 

213 


Minna. 

go  I  can  hardly  wait  for  the  time  to  start.  Can 
you  blame  me  for  making  the  desire  to  find 
my  parents  the  one  great  passion  of  my  life  ? " 

"  No  indeed.  I  would  do  the  same,  Minna, 
were  I  in  your  place." 

"I  have  dreamed  of  it,  Ella,  I  have  longed 
for  it.  I  have  pictured  myself  starting  on 
my  lonely  search.  I  have  fancied  myself  lay- 
ing my  head  on  my  mother's  breast  and  crying 
with  her  ;  forgiving  her  for  any  fancied  wrong 
she  may  have  done  me.  I  long  to  find  her,  and 
throwing  my  arms  about  her  neck,  to  tell  her 
I,  too,  am  a  mother  and  can  understand  her 
suffering.  Oh,  mother  !  My  mother  !  Where 
are  you  ?  Where  can  I  find  you  to  lay  my 
bleeding  heart  at  your  feet  ?  They  tore  your 
infant  from  your  arms,  but  her  heart  they  can- 
not tear  from  you.  My  father  was  a  Christian 
and  you  a  Jewess  ;  but  your  child  was  the  off- 
spring of  love.  Oh,  mother,  come  to  me  ! 
Come  to  me  !  " 

Ella,  weeping  too,  led  me  gently  to  my  bed. 


214 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE     FATHERLAND. 

A  MONTH  of  anxious  preparation,  and  I  am 
on  my  way  to  find  my  mother.  How  sweet 
that  name  sounds  to  me  now  that  she  is  draw- 
ing nearer  !  Is  it  all  a  dream  ? 

Three  weeks  of  weary  travel,  and  the  spires 
of  St.  Petersburg  glisten  in  the  sun.  Two 
hours  more,  and  I  stand  face  to  face  with 
Count  Karapot  and  his  mother. 

"  Why,  Count  Karapot !  How  is  it  you  are 
here  before  me  ?  " 

"  Your  steamer  was  delayed  two  days,  and 
as  I  traveled  by  a  faster  line,  naturally  I  arrived 
before  you.  Mother,  this  is  the  young  lady  we 
are  expecting  from  America ;  she  speaks 
German.  Madame,  this  is  my  mother,  Madame 
Karapot." 

"  My  son  was  worried  because  your  steamer 
was  so  late.  I  hope  your  delay  was  not  caused 

"5 


Minna. 

by  stormy  weather.  The  Count  claims  that 
the  ocean  was  very  smooth." 

"  We  had  no  storm,  Madame,  but  the  ocean 
was  very  rough.  I  presume  that  was  the  cause 
of  our  late  arrival." 

11  Apartments  are  arranged  for  you  and  you 
are  welcome  at  the  castle.  Oscar,  I  think  we 
may  start  now  for  home." 

A  half  hour's  ride  behind  four  well  groomed 
horses,  with  as  many  footmen  in  livery,  and 
we  alight  at  the  entrance  to  a  stately  palace  in 
the  center  of  beautiful  gardens.  Servants  in 
livery  move  majestically  about  and  all  is  pomp 
and  splendor  befitting  the  home  of  a  prince. 
I  feel  like  crying  aloud,  "Shame  on  a  world 
where  so  few  can  live  in  luxury  and  so  many 
live  in  want ! "  and  the  splendor  of  my  apart- 
ments serves  only  to  confirm  the  thought. 

Everything  has  been  done  for  my  comfort, 
and  the  welcome,  though  formal,  was  all  that 
I  could  wish  ;  yet  I  am  not  happy.  To  be  a 
guest  in  a  great  castle,  where  everything  is  so 
costly  and  rich,  only  serves  to  strengthen  the 
contrast  with  all  that  is  lowly  and  poor.  To 

sit  in  state  at  dinner,  while  liveried  servants 

216 


The  Fatherland. 

move  noiselessly  about,  was  not  meant  for  such 
as  I, — I  who  have  seen  so  much  suffering,  so 
much  oppression. 

Alone,  after  dinner  in  my  apartments,  I  can 
only  sit  and  think  ;  until  a  light  tap  at  the  door 
of  my  salon,  interrupts  my  train  of  thought. 
I  open  it  and  admit  the  Count. 

"  I  ventured  to  intrude,  Madame,  to  inform 
myself  that  everything  has  been  done  for  your 
comfort.  My  mother  bids  me  assure  you  that 
her  wish  is  for  the  same." 

"  You  are  very  kind,  Count  Karapot,  and 
your  mother  too.  I  assure  you  there  is  nothing 
I  can  think  of  that  I  need.  I  would  be  glad, 
though,  if  you  would  teach  me  the  proper 
etiquette  for  a  guest  in  such  a  castle." 

"When  people  behave  as  you  do,  naturally, 
they  always  act  correctly.  I  am  sure  you  have 
but  to  carry  yourself  as  you  did  in  your  apart- 
ments in  Chicago." 

Again  the  Count  bowed  with  courtly  grace. 

11  You  quite  captivated  my  mother  at  dinner 
this  evening,  and  there  is  no  question  about 
myself.  I  shall  have  the  honor,  I  hope,  to 

present  you  to   His  Majesty  the  Czar,  before 

217 


Minua. 

long.  At  present  he  is  absent  on  one  of  his 
military  inspections  and  it  may  be  some 
months  before  he  returns.  However,  there 
will  be  no  lack  of  entertainment  for  you  and  1 
trust  you  will  have  no  cause  to  complain  of 
our  hospitality." 

"You  seem  to  forget  the  mission  which  has 
brought  me  to  Russia,  Count  Karapot." 

"  It  is  my  hope,  Madame,  that  we  shall  be 
able  to  surround  your  presence  here  with  a 
charm  that  will  make  you  forget  it, — or  at 
least  its  sadness.  But  I  shall  proceed  at  once 
to  place  the  matter  in  the  hands  of  secret  agents, 
with  instructions  to  leave  no  stone  unturned 
in  the  search  for  your  mother." 

"Oh,  Count  !  How  can  I  ever  thank  you 
enough  for  all  your  kindness  to  me  !  " 

"  Pray,  don't  speak  of  it.  My  mother  desires 
me  to  say,  that,  in  the  absence  of  His  Majesty, 
she  plans  to  give  a  small  reception  in  your 
honor  one  week  from  to-night.  I  trust  her 
plan  will  meet  with  your  approval  ? " 

"  Certainly,  Count  Karapot.  Be  good  enough 
to  say  to  Madame  Karapot  for  me  that  I  am 

deeply  sensible  of  the  honor." 

218 


The  Fatherland. 

11 1  thank  you,  Madame.     Good-night." 

A  few  days  of  rest,  a  few  more  days  of  prep- 
aration and  the  guests  at  my  reception  begin 
to  arrive.  A  pompous,  gold-laced  flunky  calls 
their  names  and  titles  and  Madame  presents 
them,  one  by  one,  with  stately  grace.  Lords 
and  ladies,  princes,  dukes  and  peers  move  on 
with  courtly  ceremony,  until  all  have  been 
presented  and  we  mingle  with  our  guests. 
Presently  a  hand  is  laid  on  my  shoulder  and  a 
soft  voice  whispers,  "  Follow  me." 

Out  in  the  garden  the  moon  was  shining 
brightly  and  the  night  was  clear  and  calm.  A 
white  dress  in  an  arbor,  far  removed  from  the 
castle,  told  me  where  to  go  ;  and  I  found  there 
a  Countess  whose  gaze  I  had  seen  following 
me  as  I  moved  about  the  room. 

"  Madame,"  she  said,  "  I  trust  you  will  par- 
don my  unceremonious  summons,  but  I  ear- 
nestly desire  a  few  moments  of  privacy  with 
you.  I  have  been  studying  your  face  for  some 
time  and  I  think  I  see  there  a  love  for  hu- 
manity and  a  sympathy  for  its  sufferings.  Am 
I  right  ? " 

"  Indeed   you  are,   Madame.     I  have  seen 
219 


Minna. 

much,  suffered  much  and  thought  much ;  and 
the  more  I  learn  the  keener  grows  my  sym- 
pathy." 

"  I  thought  so.  And  am  I  right  in  believing 
that  you  are  filled  with  a  desire  to  relieve  their 
condition  if  only  the  means  can  be  found  ? " 

"  Indeed  you  are.     Quite  right." 

"  In  Russia,  perhaps  more  than  anywhere, 
this  condition  is  due  to  a  cause,  easily  removed 
when  the  proper  time  arrives.  Caution  and 
organized  effort  are  needed,  as  well  as  earnest 
workers  ;  and  I  am  led  to  believe  from  my 
observation  of  you  that  you  would  be  glad  in- 
deed to  be  an  earnest  worker  in  such  a  cause, 
if  the  opportunity  were  but  present." 

"Your  observations  are  correct.  Nothing 
could  give  me  greater  pleasure.  I  am  a  Rus- 
sian by  birth  and  I  have  suffered  much  at  her 
hands.  Tell  me,  I  beg,  how  can  I  help  to 
relieve  the  sufferings  of  others  ?" 

"  We  have  an  organization  here  in  Russia, 
known  by  the  name  of  Nihilists.  Perhaps 
you  have  heard  of  them  ;  but,  for  fear  that 
rumor  may  have  given  you  a  false  impression, 
allow  me  to  say  that  it  is  composed  of  noble 


220 


The  Fatherland. 

men  and  women,  people  of  wealth  and  birth, 
with  whom  the  principles  they  stand  for  are 
matters  of  life  and  death.  If  you  care  to  join 
in  the  noble  work  they  are  planning,  I  shall  be 
happy  to  take  you  to  the  next  meeting  and 
stand  sponsor  for  you  there.  Will  you  come  ? '' 

"  Indeed  I  shall.  When  is  the  next  meet- 
ing ? " 

"To-morrow  night ;  and  if  you  will  meet 
me  here  about  nine  in  the  evening,  I  shall  be 
glad  to  accompany  you  there.  But  let  me 
caution  you  against  speaking  of  the  matter  to 
Count  Karapot.  No  doubt  he  is  in  sympathy 
with  us,  but  he  is  extremely  honest  in  all  his 
dealings  and  a  confidential  friend  of  the  Czar, 
whom  he  visits  almost  daily  at  the  palace.  It 
would  be  better  for  him  not  to  know  of  your 
going  to  the  meetings  ;  it  might  distress  him 
and  possibly  cause  him  trouble." 

"  My  dear  Countess,  your  words  imply  that 
you  imagine  the  relations  between  me  and  the 
Count  are  closer  than  they  really  are.  I  am 
not  engaged  to  him,  as  you  seem  to  imagine, 
nor  am  I  in  any  way  bound  to  render  him  an 
accounting  of  my  private  affairs." 


221 


Minna. 

"  Good  !  But  are  you  proof  against  his 
questioning  ?  You  know  if  he  should  happen 
to  discover  that  you  are  an  earnest  member  of 
our  society,  or  that  you  have  secret  meetings 
in  the  garden,  he  will  question  you  very 
closely." 

"  I  assure  you  I  am  proof  against  any  such 
attacks." 

"  Very  good  !  Will  you  swear  to  keep 
secret  the  transactions  at  our  meetings  and 
never  divulge  the  secrets  you  will  learn 
there  ? " 

11  Here  is  my  hand  ;  and  I  swear  that  the 
fear  of  death  itself  will  never  frighten  me  into 
revealing  any  of  those  secrets.  I  think  I  have 
shown  by  my  earnestness  that  I  am  wholly  in 
sympathy  with  your  cause,  and  that  you  can 
depend  upon  me  to  protect  it,  with  my  life  if 
need  be." 

"  Bravo  !  "  Like  a  phantom  she  disappeared 
at  the  sound  of  approaching  footsteps.  It  was 
the  Count. 

"  Have  I  disturbed  you,  Madame  ? " 

"  Oh,  no  indeed  !  I  just  came  out  her  for  a 
breath  of  fresh  air.  It  is  so  warm  in  the  room." 


222 


The  Fatherland. 

"  Was  there  not  some  one  with  you  ?  " 

"  Only  my  maid.  She  left  when  she  heard 
you  coming." 

"  That  is  good.  I  was  worried  about  you, 
Madame,  fearing  that  perhaps  you  might  fall 
under  the  influence  of  some  of  the  people  who 
are  members  of  a  secret  society  here.  There 
are  several  present  to-night  who  are  under 
suspicion  and  closely  watched.  I  beg  of  you 
to  avoid  them  because  they  might  get  you  into 
serious  trouble.  Beside  they  are  rebelling 
without  grounds." 

"  Rebelling  without  grounds  ?" 

"  Yes.  They  are  protesting  against  the 
kindest  ruler  Russia  ever  had  ;  and, — should 
anything  happen  to  him, — the  kindest  they 
ever  will  have." 

"  You  call  Alexander  the  Second  of  Russia 
kind  when  he  permits  such  conditions  of  in- 
equality to  exist  ? " 

"  To  what  conditions  of  inequality  do  you 
refer,  Madame  ? " 

"  To  several.  The  discrimination  of  your 
government  in  favor  of  the  nobles,  for  instance. 

What  are  they?    What  do  they  do?    They 

223 


Minna. 

hold  offices  by  favor  of  the  government  and 
draw  their  pay  ;  but  the  duties  of  those  offices 
they  neglect  from  day  to  day.  From  the 
cradle  to  the  grave,  every  breath  they  draw, 
every  fancy  they  fulfil  is  paid  for  by  the  gov- 
ernment—by the  people  who  support  this  idle 
aristocracy." 

"What  you  say,  Madame,  is  partly  true. 
But  you  forget  that  many  of  them  have  estates 
inherited  from  their  fathers." 

"  And  where  did  those  estates  come  from  ? 
How  came  they  by  them  ?  By  the  favor  of 
some  Czar,  who  thought  to  reward  a  faithful 
subject  for  some  service  willingly  performed. 
It  may  have  been  some  deed  of  heroism,  it 
may  have  been  some  deed  of  treachery  against 
an  innocent,  helpless  suffering  soul.  They 
were  great  people  no  matter  what  ras- 
cality they  were  ready  to  perform  ;  and  you 
know  as  well  as  I,  Count  Karapot,  that  the 
price  of  a  wife's  young  beauty  was  none  too 
great  to  pay  for  the  favors  of  the  Czar.  The 
grandfathers  and  great-grandfathers  of  your 
titled  nobility  earned  their  riches  by  some  such 

means  as  these  ;  but  they  gambled  away  their 

224 


The  Fatherland. 

fortunes  and  left  what  ?— mostly  debts.  No 
matter  how  many  generations  have  passed, 
nor  how  many  are  yet  to  come,  your  titled  no- 
bility is  paid  for — by  the  government  at  the 
expense  of  the  people.  Do  you  call  that 
equality?" 

"  My  dear  Madame  ;  how  do  you  know 
these  things  ? " 

11  My  common  sense  teaches  me  to  ask  these 
questions  and  observation  supplies  the  rest. 
Go  to  the  rear  of  some  dark  alley  !  You  will 
find  there  a  tumbled-down  shanty  where  a 
widow  lives  with  her  children,  working  hard 
to  support  them  by  the  sweat  of  her  brow. 
There  are  six  of  them  ;  and  their  emaciated 
bodies  are  clothed  in  a  coarse  chemise.  They 
know  not  the  taste  of  meat,  and  skimmed  milk 
they  get  but  twice  a  week.  This  woman  who 
starves  herself  for  her  children  is  a  cigarette 
maker,  or  perhaps  a  dressmaker,  and  must 
have  a  license  for  which  she  pays  the  fortune 
of  three  or  five  rubles  a  year.  And  should  she 
fail  to  pay  her  tribute  yearly,  she  is  cast  into 
prison  where  her  trial  is  delayed,  or  she  is  sent 

to  Siberia  to  stay  there  for  three,  four  or  six 
'5  225 


Minna. 

months,  to  be  used  by  the  soldiers  as  they 
please.  What  for  ?  To  satisfy  the  greed  of 
the  government.  Do  you  call  that  equality  ? 
Can  you  blame  these  children  when  they  grow 
up  and  turn  Nihilists  ? 

"Goto  another  quarter — a  room  in  a  misera- 
ble garret.  There  sits  an  old  man  of  eighty,  gray 
and  bent.  For  seventy  years  he  has  patched 
shoes  in  this  very  neighborhood  and  raised  a 
family  in  hardship.  He  is  honest  and  indus- 
trious ;  but  his  labor  of  seventy  years  has  not 
been  productive  enough  to  give  him  support 
for  his  old  age.  Yet  he  must  pay  a  govern- 
ment license,  be  he  eighty  or  a  hundred  years 
old  ;  and,  should  sickness  or  other  misfortune 
prevent  it,  he  too  would  be  cast  into  prison,  to 
be  chained  to  murderers  and  thieves.  Do  you 
call  that  equality  ? " 

"  My  dear  Madame ;  what  you  tell  me  is 
truly  very  sad.  We  who  live  in  luxury  are 
only  too  apt  to  forget  the  others  who  are  less 
fortunate.  You  speak  feelingly,  Madame  ;  and 
one  can  readily  see  that  you  have  given  much 
study  to  this  subject.  Permit  me  ;  my  arm 

to  the  castle." 

226 


The  Fatherland. 

"  I  speak  feelingly,  Count  Karapot,  because 
I  was  born  in  darkest  Russia  and  raised  in 
some  of  her  misery.  I  am  a  citizen  of  the 
United  States  now  ;  and  having  once  seen  the 
conditions  of  the  masses  there,  I  can  only 
long  for  the  time  when  Russia  will  do  like- 
wise." 

"  Poor  child  !  You  are  distrustful  of  your 
surroundings  ;  the  past  has  offered  you  so 
little  pleasure.  But  let  us  hope  that  the  future 
will  be  more  kind.  I  shall  try  to  make  you  so 
happy  here  that  you  will  grow  to  look  upon 
this  castle  as  your  home.  I  bid  you  good- 
night." He  left  me  at  the  foot  of  the  grand- 
stairway. 

*          *          *          *  *          # 

The  Count  kept  his  word.  Balls,  parties 
and  receptions  delay  the  search  for  my  mother, 
and  time  sweeps  on  in  a  whirl  of  splendor  and 
ceremony.  But  the  more  I  see  of  them,  the 
more  I  feel  the  shame  of  it  all.  Spring  passes 
on  into  summer  and  the  court  life  comes  and 
goes  ;  while  I  drink  at  the  fountain  of  Nihilism 
and  find  it  sweet  to  my  taste. 

Oh,  to   do   something  for   humanity  !     To 
227 


Minna. 

serve  the  world  as  a  ministering  angel  sent  to 
relieve  its  suffering  !  Everywhere  I  go  there 
are  thousands  in  want  and  only  a  few  in  luxury. 
I  see  on  every  hand  people  downtrodden  and 
oppressed  ;  and  Nihilism  the  only  salvation 
for  Russia.  To  help  them  I  must  help  the 
cause.  Up  with  the  good  cause,  then  !  Life 
and  liberty  for  the  people  ! 

Consumed  with  the  fire  of  such  thoughts, 
the  American  Socialist  opened  her  arms  with 
a  welcome  and  took  the  Nihilists  in. 


228 


CHAPTER  V. 

MY  LITTLE    FIRE-BRAND. 

IT  is  warm  this  evening.  How  pleasant  it 
is  to  sit  here  in  the  quiet  of  the  garden  and 
think  of  all  that  has  happened  since  I  came  to 
Russia  !  How  little  I  thought  that  such  a  life 
of  gaiety  and  excitement  awaited  me  !  Mercy  ! 
I  am  off  from  the  right  road  altogether  !  I 
came  here  to  search  for  my  parents  and  instead 
I  swing  in  castles  and  luxuries,  in  silks  and 
laces,  and  associate,  against  my  will,  with  my 
enemies.  What  a  mistake  it  was  for  me  to  ac- 
cept Madame  Karapot's  invitation  to  stay  at  the 
castle.  It  was  very  kind  of  the  Count  to  in- 
fluence his  mother,  but  I  should  have  known 
myself  better.  But  then  I  was  so  surprised 
at  seeing  him  in  Russia  when  I  thought  him 
still  in  America, — or  at  least  on  the  ocean,  that 
I  didn't  realize  what  it  meant. 

And  now  I'm  in  the  thick  of  it.   I  mingle  with 
229 


Minna. 

dukes  and  duchesses — I  shake  hands  with  them 
and  smile  graciously  when  I  always  criticised 
such  people.  I  don't  really  care  for  them. 
Then  why  do  I  do  it  ?  Why  ?  Because  I  am 
forced  to.  I  can  see  that  very  plainly.  And 
what  forces  me  ?  Is  it  Oscar  ?  No,  it  can't  be 
Oscar.  Is  it  Madame  Karapot  ?  No,  it  can't 
be  she,  for  I  don't  care  for  her  or  her  opinions. 
How  strange  it  is  that  this  life  comes  so  nat- 
urally to  me  !  It  seems  as  though  this  castle 
and  these  gardens  have  been  mine  for  years — 
as  though  I  have  been  born  and  raised  here. 
It  doesn't  seem  new  to  me,  and  if  I  bring  my 
past  life  into  comparison,  it  seems  like  some 
horrid  story  I  have  read  in  a  book. 

These  dukes  and  duchesses  don't  seem  at 
all  like  strangers  whom  I've  never  met  before. 
I  feel  as  though  I  have  known  them  all  my 
life.  Even  Madame  Karapot  couldn't  help 
noticing  that,  for  she  said  only  the  other  day  : 
"  How  is  it,  Madame,  you  are  so  self-possessed  ? 
When  we  introduce  our  friends  to  you,  you 
stand  there  so  proud.  Were  you  the  Czar  him- 
self you  could  not  receive  them  more  coolly." 

Still  my   nature   is  not  proud.     I  am   not   a 

230 


My  Little  Fire-Brand. 

proud  person.  I  am  sure  of  that.  Yet  Oscar 
often  says  I  am  a  born  princess.  Only  the 
other  day  he  said  that  I  would  carry  the  title 
with  grace.  I  wonder  if  he  meant  anything 
by  that ! 

Sometimes  I  wish  it  were  so.  Not  because 
I  like  the  life.  It  doesn't  appeal  to  me— I  am 
sure  of  that.  But  wealth  and  influence  are 
good  things  to  have  ihone  makes  right  use  of 
them,  and  I  am  sure  if  I  were  a  princess  I 
would  make  right  use  of  them.  There  is 
power  in  wealth  if  the  rich  only  knew  how  to 
use  it.  Perhaps  they'll  learn  some  day.  If 
they  don't  learn  pretty  soon  they'll  find  to  their 
sorrow  that  they  are  making  mistakes.  It 
makes  my  blood  boil  when  I  think  of  some  of 
the  things  they  are  doing. 

It  is  hard  to  live  in  poverty — I've  tried  that. 
Yet  I  don't  want  wealth  for  the  position  it 
brings.  On  the  contrary,  I  was  far  happier 
when  I  was  lining  capes  in  New  York  than  I 
am  here  in  St.  Petersburg,  on  exhibition — ex- 
posing myself  for  the  criticisms  of  the  very 
people  who  are  criticised  as  the  lowest  of  the 

low.    Why  should  I  dress   to   please   others 

231 


Minna. 

when  it  doesn't  appeal  to  me  ?  I  am  an 
American  citizen  and  have  a  right  to  do  as  I 
please. 

Oh  !  How  I  long  to  get  back  to  America  ! 
Ella  said  in  her  letter  this  morning  that  she 
and  Harry  were  married  last  month  and  would 
go  to  New  York  on  their  honeymoon.  How 
happy  she  must  be  !  Why  can't  I  be  happy 
too  !  Is  it  possible  that  Harry  was  right  and 
I  don't  know  what  love  is  ?  No,  I  do  know 
what  it  is — I  am  sure  of  it.  I  sometimes  wonder 
if  I  am  not  in  love  with  Count  Karapot.  He 
attracts  me  very  strongly.  More  than  that — he 
exercises  an  influence  over  me  I  find  it 
difficult  to  resist ;  and  I  admit  I  am  pleased 
when  he  is  near  me.  I  cannot  comprehend 
why  it  is  that  I  am  controlled  by  him.  I  seem 
to  obey  him  as  a  sister  would  a  brother  ;  yet 
I  hate  the  other  men  of  his  class.  But  then 
he  is  different.  He  is  so  noble  and  kind.  His 
generousness  and  high-mindedness  place  him 
far  above  the  other  princes.  He  is  a  man  ac- 
cording to  my  views  and  he  has  been  very  good 
to  me. 

I  must  write  and  tell  Ella  how  generous  he 
232 


My  Little  Fire-Brand. 

has  been  and  what  great  receptions  have  been 
given  for  me.  Dear  me  !  How  long  it  is  since 
I  have  written.  Why  it  is  nearly  a  month  ! 
Shame  on  me  !  No  wonder  Ella  complains 
that  I  have  forgotten  them  !  Dear  soul  !  She 
threatens  to  adopt  my  Dady.  What  was  it 
she  said  about  that  ?  No,  it  is  too  dark,  I  can't 
read  her  writing  out  here  ;  but  I'll  read  that 
part  of  her  letter  again  #s  soon  as  I  get  back  to 
the  castle.  Poor  Dady  !  How  I  have  neglected 
him  !  But  then  I've  been  kept  so  busy  exposing 
myself  that  when  I  did  get  a  chance  to  rest  I 
had  to  do  it.  Beside,  I  have  thought  of  him  a 
great  deal.  Of  course  I  have.  How  could  I 
help  it  !  Dear  little  fellow  !  I  am  uncertain 
whether  to  send  for  him  or  let  him  stay  with 
Ella — my  plans  are  so  uncertain. 

I've  been  here  five  months  now  and  I've 
learned  a  great  deal ;  but  I  haven't  found  my 
parents,  yet.  Ella  will  be  disappointed  when 
I  tell  her  I  am  no  nearer  to  them  than  I  was 
when  I  started.  Still,  I  have  accomplished  a 
great  deal  in  another  way,  for  the  Nihilists  say 
they  couldn't  succeed  without  me.  Should  I 

be  the  means  of  freeing  Russia  from  her  bond- 

233 


Minna. 

age,  it  would  be  a  great  deed  well  done  ;  even 
if  I  do  delay  the  search  for  my  parents.  The 
greatness  of  a  nation  ought  to  be  higher  than 
any  personal  craving.  I  swore  to  them  that  I 
would  place  my  fealty  above  everything  and  I 
have  kept  my  word ;  even  to  making  use  of 
Count  Karapot's  knowledge  of  the  movements 
at  the  palace.  What  does  a  little  sin  like  that 
amount  to  when  it  serves  as  a  means  to  bring 
greatness  to  a  nation  !  Besides  it  is  absolutely 
necessary  to  know  these  things  and  we  have 
no  other  means.  It  must  be  done.  I  must  be 
faithful  to  my  vow. 

That  was  a  wise  plan  for  me  to  keep  away 
from  the  meetings.  But,  look  what  the  Coun- 
tess risks  in  coming  here  to  the  gardens  for  the 
information  !  Yes,  she  is  brave.  Yes,  she  is 
ready  to  sacrifice  her  life  if  need  be.  I  must 
not  forget  to  ask  the  Count  when  the  Czar  is 
expected  to  return.  Our  plans  are  nearing 
completion  and  a  few  months  more  will  settle 
the  matter.  I  wish  I  could  know  how  it  will 
all  end  !  They  say  that  Russia  will  never  be 
relieved  from  bondage  until  Alexander  the 

Second  is  removed  from  the  throne.     They 

234 


My  Little  Fire-Brand. 

must  know,  for  they  are  all  noble  people  and 
deep  thinkers  ;  and  I  must  be  guided  by  their 
wisdom.  They  are  so  pure  ;  they  hate  the 
evils  of  the  court  as  much  as  they  hate  the 
wrongs  of  the  government.  How  unselfish 
their  great  purpose  is  !  And  I  shall  do  my 
share  !  But  it  certainly  is  a  risk  to  meet  the 
Countess  in  the  arbor.  We've  met  several 
times  and  nobody  seems  to  suspect — not  even 
Oscar  who  always  misses  me. 

Dear  fellow!  He  is  too  noble  to  entertain 
suspicious  thoughts.  What  is  the  reason  that 
he  is  so  different  from  other  nobles  here  ? 
Why  is  he  so  kind  ?  Does  he  do  all  these 
things  for  me  because  he  knows  what  I  have 
suffered  and  wants  to  give  me  a  few  months 
pleasure  ?  I  remember  he  said,  right  here  in 
the  garden,  the  night  of  my  reception  last 
spring,  that  he  hoped  to  make  my  stay  so 
pleasant  I  would  come  to  look  upon  the  castle 
as  my  home.  I  wonder  if  he  meant  anything 
by  that  !  He  has  certainly  been  very  attentive 
and  he  takes  such  pains  to  explain  everything 
for  me.  How  careful  he  is  of  me  !  Even  to 

selecting    books    for   me  ,itf  read.     Still   his 

235 


Minna. 

behavior  is  always  reserved  and  dignified.  He 
is  always  the  same;  graceful,  courtly,  con- 
siderate. 

Still  I  think  he  only  does  these  things  to 
keep  me  occupied  while  the  search  for  my 
mother  is  being  conducted.  My  poor  mother  ! 
How  she  suffered  !  Is  it  any  wonder  I  hate  a 
country  that  discriminates  against  the  Jews  ? 
Had  she  been  a  Christian  they  would  not  have 
torn  her  child  away;  for  she  was  the  daughter 
of  rich  parents  and  the  equal  of  my  father, 
whoever  he  was.  That's  it;  to  be  born  a  Jew 
in  Russia  means  sorrow.  But  perhaps  it  will 
all  be  right  some  day.  If  I  ever  find  her  I 
will  right  it.  I  shall  see  that  the  wrong  which 
has  been  done  her  and  her  child  shall  be 
righted  ;  and  if  a  gentle  tap  will  bring  no 
answer,  we  shall  use  the  knout.  Yes,  I  must 
be  active  and  not  neglect. 

Mercy!  It  must  be  late;  the  lights  in  the 
castle  are.  nearly  all  out!  I  wonder  how  long 
I've  been  sitting  here  !  I  must  hasten  ! 

How  still  everything  is  !  Even  my  footsteps 
resound  on  the  gravel.  No,  those  are  not 

my  footsteps  ! — It  is  some  one  else  !     Mercy  ! 

236 


My  Little  Fire-Brand. 

Can  it  be  the  Countess  at  this  hour  ?  How 
does  she  know  I  am  here  ?  Ah!  It  is  Oscar ! 
How  he  frightened  me  ! 

"  Why,  Count  Karapot  !  How  come  you 
here  at  this  hour  ? " 

"  That  is  the  very  thing  I  would  like  to  ask 
you,  Madame.  I  thought  you  had  retired." 

"  I  thought  so  too  ;  but  I  came  to  my  senses 
in  the  arbor  just  now  to  find  I  had  been 
musing  there  a  long  time.  Is  it  late  ?  " 

"  Not  so  very  late.     Must  you  go  in  ? " 

"  No,  I  feel  restless  to-night,  and  it  is  so 
beautiful  out  here,  I  hate  to  go  in." 

11 1  can  appreciate  your  feeling,  for  I  myself 
am  restless  and  came  out  here  for  the  very 
same  reason.  Suppose  we  take  a  little  row  on 
the  lake.  It  looks  so  beautiful." 

"  Just  the  thing,  Count  Karapot.  I  should 
enjoy  it  very  much.  Is  the  boat  far  away  ? " 

"  No,  there  is  one  close  by.  Permit  me  to 
offer  my  arm." 

"  Thank  you.  Tell  me,  Count  Karapot,  were 
you  musing  too  ?  " 

"Yes.     I    must   plead  guilty.     Be  careful, 

Madame.     Step  in   the   center  of   the   boat. 

237 


Minna. 

Just  a  moment  until  I  get  hold  of  it.  There  ; 
now  step  in." 

11  Thank  you.  Now  I'm  all  right.  Do  you 
sit  in  the  middle  and  I  in  the  end  ?  " 

"  Yes,  that  is  just  right  and  very  appropri- 
ate. Once  again  the  Knight  is  stealing  the 
Princess.  Now,  tell  me  what  was  the  subject 
of  your  musing  in  the  arbor  just  now  ?  It 
must  have  been  something  beautiful,  that  kept 
My  Highness  in  the  garden  at  this  hour  and 
alone.  What  is  it  that  disturbs  your  peace  ? " 

"  Oh,  many  things.  I  was  far  away  in  my 
thoughts  ;  yet  some  of  them  were  near-by 
too." 

"  May  I  venture  to  hope  that  the  near-by 
thoughts  were  pleasant  ones  ? " 

"  Oh,  yes.  That  is,  some  of  them  were. 
How  could  I  think  otherwise  than  pleasantly 
of  you,  Count  Karapot  ? " 

"You  honor  me,  Madame.  I  had  not  dared 
to  hope  that  I  could  be  so  fortunate  as  to  be 
the  subject  of  your  thoughts." 

"  Oh,  I  think  of  you  often,  Count  Karapot. 
But  you  haven't  told  me  yet  what  you  were 

thinking  about.     Is  it  too  secret  to  tell  ?" 

238 


My  Little  Fire-Brand. 

"  I  was  thinking  of  you,  Madame.  I  was 
thinking  how  different  you  are  from  the  other 
women  I  have  met.  I  cannot  but  wonder  how 
one  so  young  can  have  such  thoughts." 

"  Oh,  Count  Karapot !  You  overwhelm  me  ! 
Is  that  why  you  are  so  kind  ?" 

"  Perhaps  my  'kindness,'  as  you  call  it  has 
something  of  selfishness  in  it." 

"  Why,  Count  Karapot !  What  selfish  motive 
could  you  have  ? " 

"  Perhaps  it  is  a  desire  to  find  favor  in  your 
eyes  and  then  to  kindle  the  flame  of  a  finer 
feeling  with  that  little  spark  of  grace." 

"  You  lay  your  plans  like  a  diplomat  rather 
than  a  soldier  storming  the  citadel." 

"I  am  not  one  to  make  love  in  fine  phrases, 
Madame  ;  but  if  it  were  a  citadel  to  be  taken 
by  storm  I  would  throw  myself  into  the  siege 
with  all  the  energy  I  possess.  I  love  you, 
Madame.  I  worship  you.  To  me  you  are  as 
far  above  other  women  as  the  stars  above  the 
earth.  Ever  since  you  came  here  I  have  been 
conscious  of  but  one  thought,  that  this  castle 
has  never  seemed  so  dear  to  me  as  now  that 

it  shelters  you.     Even  in  America,  I  was  con- 

239 


Minna. 

scious  of  a  subtle  feeling,  for  I  used  to  please 
myself  in  secret  by  calling  you  my  little  fire- 
brand; and  I  have  been  watching  for  this  op- 
portunity to  tell  you  that  I  love  you  and  want 
you  for  my  wife." 

"  Oscar !  " 

"  Minna  !  My  Minna  !  Can  it  be  that  you 
love  me  ? " 

11 1  don't  know,  Oscar.  I've  been  wonder- 
ing if  I  do.  When  you  are  near  me  I  am 
happy.  I  think  more  of  you  than  any  man 
I've  ever  met.  When  I  am  alone  I  long  for 
you.  I  must  confess  that  I've  often  asked  my- 
self the  question.  'Am  I  in  love  with  the 
Count  ? '  At  that,  everything  grows  dark  be- 
fore me;  I  shiver  and  grow  cold.  I  grow 
frightened  and  the  castle  fills  with  horrors. 
Is  that  love,  Oscar?  Do  people  feel  that  way 
when  they  love  ? " 

"  Yes,  my  darling,  you  love  me.  You  have 
suffered  so  much,  poor  child,  you  are  appre- 
hensive. But  do  not  worry,  my  love,  I  shall 
always  be  with  you.  Be  of  good  cheer;  you 
shall  be  happy  from  now  on." 

Silence.     The  silence  that  speaks  more  than 

240 


"At  that,  everything  grows  dark  before  me;  I  shiver  and  grow  cold." 


My  Little  Fire-Brand. 

words.    The  silence  of  Man  and  Nature,  when 
Beauty  wraps  both  in  a  dream. 

11  Minna." 

"What  is  it,  Oscar?" 

"  Take  down  your  braids,  sweetheart.  I 
like  to  see  you  so.  I  wish  you  could  appear 
at  court  like  that  when  I  present  you  as  my 
bride.  How  jealous  all  the  court  ladies  would 
be  at  my  sweet  maiden  !  " 

"Why,  Oscar!  I  didn't  think  you  noticed 
such  nonsense.  Come,  we  must  return  to  the 
castle." 

11  As  you  wish.  I  don't  usually  notice  such 
things  ;  but  I  saw  you  once  in  the  garden, 
when  you  thought  you  were  alone.  I  am 
jealous  of  my  Minna,  and  I  want  everybody  to 
see  how  beautiful  she  is.  Be  careful,  dear. 
Don't  step  in  the  water. — Your  hand. — There  ; 
— Now  we  are  safe  on  land.  Just  a  moment 
while  I  tie  the  boat.  Now,  take  my  arm  to 
the  castle." 

"  I  had  a  letter  from  home  this  morning, 
Oscar  dear,  and  Ella  writes  that  she  and 
Harry  have  gone  to  New  York  on  their  honey- 
moon." 

16  241 


Minna. 

11  Indeed  !  They  must  be  very  happy.  Dr. 
Leiter  is  a  fine  fellow.  How  is  Dady  ? " 

"  He  is  well.  But  Ella  threatens  to  adopt 
him  because  I  have  been  so  negligent  about 
writing.  That  reminds  me,  Oscar  dear,  that  I 
am  not  yet  free  to  marry.  What  can  we  do 
about  it  ?  We  must  not  forget  that  I  am  a 
Yeshiva  Backers'  wife." 

"  Don't  worry  about  that,  sweetheart.  We 
can  easily  obtain  a  divorce  from  a  Rabbi  before 
we  are  married.  After  that  we  will  send  for 
the  boy  and  bring  him  up  as  he  should  be,  in 
the  castle." 

"Thank  you,  Oscar  dear, you  are  so  noble  and 
good.  How  different  you  are  from  the  rest !  " 

"  I  am  not  different,  you  imagine  it.  Every 
man  must  wish  for  the  happiness  of  his  bride. 
It  is  but  natural  that  I  should  do  the  same. 
Oh,  yes !  I  have  something  very  pleasing  to 
tell  you  !  Your  presentation  at  Court  is  set 
for  next  March.  How  happy  I  shall  be  when 
I  present  you  to  his  Majesty  the  Czar  !  Mother 
will  be  glad  to  hear  of  our  engagement  and 
that  my  wish  has  been  fulfilled.  Good-night, 

sweetheart,  good-night." 

242 


My  Little  Fire-Brand. 

He  left  me  at  the  foot  of  the  grand  stairway. 
"  Good-night,"  he  called  again,  as  I  reached  the 
top. 

*  *  #  *  # 

What  have  I  done  !  I  have  accepted  him  ! 
I  am  engaged  !  Engaged  to  a  prince  !  Wealth, 
castles,  royalty — are  at  my  feet ;  yet  I  am  not 
happy  !  He  says  I  vam  in  love  ;  but  I  fear 
not.  That  throbbing  6f  the  heart  that  women 
feel  toward  the  man  they  love,  I  miss.  It 
is  not  there  !  I  fear  I  have  wronged  you, 
Oscar  !  But  you  are  a  noble  man— you  shall 
never  know  !  I,  alone,  am  born  to  surfer  ! 

The  clock  strikes  two, 


243 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE   ROYAL   BALL. 

"  Now,  Madame,  don't  partake  of  too  many 
courses  ;  you  know  this  is  your  fast  week  and 
you  must  train  your  figure  for  the  ball.  Wait, 
Kirsheno,  don't  serve  the  poultry  to  Madame, 
she  eats  only  fish  this  week." 

"  But,  Madame  Karapot,  if  I  fast  for  a  week 
I  shall  lose  the  pink  cheeks  you  are  so  anxious 
about." 

"  Not  at  all.  Beside,  there  are  wines.  You 
must  take  plenty  of  them  all  the  week  ;  they 
are  good  for  the  color." 

"  But  I  don't  care  for  wines,  Madame,  nor 
do  I  care  to  'train  my  figure'  as  you  call  it." 

"  Nonsense  !  Why,  when  I  was  presented 
to  His  Majesty  I  did  not  remove  my  corset  for 
two  days  and  two  nights  ;  and  my  maid  came 
in  every  two  or  three  hours  to  draw  it  in  a  half 

inch." 

244 


The  Royal  Ball. 

"  Yes,  mother,  and  I've  heard  you  say  that 
when  you  returned  from  your  presentation, 
you  fainted  when  the  corset  was  removed." 

"  That  will  do,  Oscar  ;  such  things  do  not 
concern  the  men.  Besides,  you  should  be 
very  proud  of  your  mother,  for  His  Majesty 
was  so  pleased  he  gave  Count  Karapot,  your 
father,  a  high  mission  in  India  as  a  reward  for 
his  great  marriage." 

" Indeed  !  " 

"  Yes,  and  I  desire  that  your  bride  shall 
make  as  brilliant  an  impression  as  your  mother 
did.  You  must  remember,  Minna,  that  you've 
only  a  week  to  prepare  for  your  presentation 
and  your  court  dress  is  not  yet  made." 

"Court  dress,  Madame  !  Why,  I've  plenty 
of  dresses  to  wear  !  " 

"  They  won't  do,  at  all.  Your  gowns  are  all 
cut  too  high.  A  court  dress  must  be  cut  as 
low  as  possible." 

"  Madame  !  You  don't  expect  me  to  appear 
in  such  a  dress  as  that,  do  you  ?  My  modesty 
forbids." 

"  Modesty  indeed  !     Who  ever  heard  of  a 

girl  thinking  of  modesty  when  she  is  to  be 

245 


Minna. 

presented  to  a  Czar  !  When  a  woman  has 
beauty,  she  should  show  it." 

"  Indeed,  Madame  !  So  that  is  the  reason 
men  look  for  secrecy  in  other  women  ;  their 
own  wives  are  too  much  exposed.  Truly,  the 
Talmud  is  right,  for  it  teaches  that  women 
should  not  dress  to  find  grace  in  other  men's 
eyes." 

"The  Talmud  is  very  well  for  such  persons  ; 
but  it  won't  do  for  court  ladies.  It  is  their 
duty  to  dress  for  the  men." 

"  If  I  am  obliged  to  appear  in  such  a 
costume,  Madame  Karapot,  I  shall  not  go  at 
all." 

"  Minna !  You  forget  that  His  Majesty's  in- 
vitation is  a  command.  You  cannot  refuse. 
Besides,  as  my  son's  future  bride,  it  is  your 
duty  to  him  to  be  presented  at  court,  and  prop- 
erly gowned.  Kirsheno,  serve  more  Bordeaux 
to  Madame." 

"  Must  I  go,  Oscar  ?  Why  can't  you  say  I 
am  ill?" 

"That  won't  do,  dear.  I'm  afraid  you  will 
have  to  go  to  this  one,  for  you  know  I  must 

present  my  future  Countess  to  His  Majesty— 

246 


The  Royal  Ball. 

the  Czar.  It  is  his  wish  and  I  must  obey. 
After  that  you  may  do  as  you  please." 

"  Well,  I'll  go  if  I  may  wear  sleeves  and  a 
high  bodice." 

"  Nothing  of  the  kind,  daughter.  Your 
bodice  must  be  cut  according  to  custom  and 
there  must  be  no  sleeves." 

"  Can  she  not  have  sleeves,  mother  ?  I  am 
sure  I've  seen  some  61  the  court  ladies  appear 
in  sleeves." 

"Yes.  Those  appear  in  sleeves  who  have 
no  pretty  arms  to  show.  However,  if  Minna 
will  consent  to  the  bodice,  I  will  resign  the 
sleeves." 

"  You  will  consent  to  that,  dear.  Won't 
you  ?  You  win  your  point  on  the  sleeves." 

"  Oh,  well,  if  I  must,  Oscar,  I  suppose  I 
must ;  but  I  don't  like  it  at  all." 

"  Never  mind,  daughter,  I  am  sure  I  dislike 
to  resign  the  sleeves,  for  the  court  ladies  will 
probably  laugh  at  you  and  I  do  not  relish  the 
thought  of  my  son's  future  bride  being  pointed 
out  at  the  ball.  Have  you  cautioned  your 
maid  to  look  after  everything  ?" 

"  No,  Madame,  not  yet." 
247 


Minna. 

11  You  must  do  so  at  once.  And  don't  for- 
get to  have  her  see  to  your  necklace — the  one 
with  the  diamonds  and  pearls.  As  for  the 
gown,  I  have  ordered  a  dark  red  velvet  and 
you  are  to  be  fitted  to-day.  It  will  have  a  box 
pleat  from  the  shoulders  to  the  train,  which 
must  be  regulation  length.  The  bust  must  be 
cut  pointed  and  set  with  jewels— sapphires 
rubies  and  yellow  diamonds — the  national 
colors.  You  must  have  the  bottom  gold  bor- 
dered, eighteen  inches  deep,  and  trimmed  with 
heavy  rope  lace  of  the  same  width,  with  the 
points  up.  I  have  ordered  slippers  to  match ; 
and  don't  forget  to  see  that  they  fit  as  tightly 
as  possible." 

"  How  about  the  crown,  mother  ?" 

"  I  think,  Oscar,  that  a  single  pointed  crown 
with  round  corners  would  be  proper." 

"  Oh,  no,  mother  !  You  forget  that  I  bear 
the  title  of  prince  ;  and  as  Minna  will  appear 
as  my  future  Countess,  I  think  she  is  entitled 
to  a  five  point  crown." 

"  But,  Oscar,  you  are  not  married  yet ;  and 
I  question  whether  a  future  Countess  is  en- 
titled to  more  than  a  single  pointed  crown." 

248 


The  Royal  Ball. 

11 1  think  there  can  be  no  question  about  it, 
mother  ;  besides,  His  Majesty  commands  that 
Minna  shall  appear  in  a  five  pointed  crown." 

"  Oh,  if  that  is  so,  His  Majesty's  commands 
must  be  obeyed.  Now  it  means  hurry  and 
there  is  no  time  to  lose,  Minna.  Only  a  week 
from  to-night  and  there  is  much  to  do.  You 
had  better  not  wait  for  the  other  courses  but 
go  to  your  room  and  begin  preparations  at 
once.  I  shall  drive  with  you  to  have  your 
gown  fitted." 

***** 

The  busy  week  soon  passes;  and  "pre- 
pared," according  to  custom,  I  am  presented 
at  Court.  The  palace  is  ablaze  with  a  thou- 
sand candles  that  reflect  the  light  from  hang- 
ings of  glass  and  gold.  The  floor  is  polished 
like  a  mirror  and  the  great  ball-room  is  one 
blaze  of  glory.  Gay  and  brilliant,  the  throng 
has  already  arrived.  Everybody  is  there, 
dukes,  counts  and  officers,  all  in  full  dress  uni- 
form and  resplendent  with  gold  lace  and  dec- 
orations; while  old  and  middle-aged  ladies, 
with  their  yellow-brown  and  dried  up  skins, 

are  everywhere  in  evidence,  gay  in  their  court 

249 


Minna. 

gowns  and  sparkling  with  jewels.  Even  the 
Grand  Duke  is  there  ;  and  when  I  am  pre- 
sented to  him,  the  cynosure  of  all  eyes,  the 
subject  of  much  petty  talk,  the  ball  is  inform- 
ally opened  and  the  small  dancing  begins. 
All  is  gaiety  and  frivolity ;  and  the  guests, 
moving  in  and  out  of  the  dance,  make  one 
grand  kaleidoscopic  picture  of  color, — bril- 
liant, dazzling,  resplendent. 

A  messenger  arrives  with  word  from  the 
Czar  that  His  Majesty  is  detained  and  will  not 
arrive  until  late.  Men  pass  in  and  out  among 
the  dancers  and  hold  a  whispered  conversa- 
tion. Presently  the  master  of  ceremonies  an- 
nounces that,  as  a  special  compliment  to  the 
"  future  Countess  Karapot,"  and  with  the  per- 
mission of  the  guests,  who  have  consented  to 
admit  a  dance  not  on  the  programme,  two 
courtiers  have  offered  to  dance  the  Kosatzke. 

A  murmur  of  approval  travels  through  the 
room  ;  and,  with  clapping  of  hands  and 
laughter,  the  two  men  take  their  positions  in 
the  center  of  the  floor,  and,  facing  each  other, 
proceed  with  the  dance.  The  dancers  wave 

first  one  arm  and  then  the  other,  all  the  while 

250 


The  Royal  Ball. 

tapping  the  floor  with  their  heels.  They  fling 
their  legs  about  and  hop  first  on  one  foot,  then 
on  the  other.  They  crouch  on  both  heels  and 
spring  lightly  to  the  toes,  repeating  the  motion 
again  and  again,  all  the  while  warming  up  to 
their  task  until,  with  one  wild,  hilarious,  dizzy- 
ing whirl,  the  dance  comes  to  an  end  amid 
shouts  of  "Brava!"  "Brava!"  and  laughter 
and  clapping  of  hands. 

Then  the  regular  dances  are  resumed,  and 
I  am  whirled  about  the  room  by  one  courtier 
and  then  another,  until,  tired  and  warm,  I  beg 
to  be  led  to  the  anteroom  for  a  rest  and  a 
breath  of  fresh  air. 

"  Madame,"  says  my  partner,  "  you  are  the 
belle  of  the  evening.  I  congratulate  your 
country  on  the  possession  of  such  women. 
Are  there  any  more  in  America  like  you  ?  If 
there  are  I  must  go  there  and  get  one  for  my- 
self." 

"You  flatter  me,  sir.  And  allow  me  to  tell 
you  that  there  are  plenty  far  more  beautiful 
than  your  words  indicate  me  to  be." 

"  How  could  that  be,  Your  Highness  ?  Why, 

you  have  won  every  man  here  !     Even  the 

25 1 


Minna. 

Grand  Duke  is  smitten  ;  he  is  going  to  ask 
you  for  the  next  dance." 

"  Indeed !  And  does  the  Grand  Duke 
always  send  a  valet  ahead  to  break  the  ice  for 
him  ?  Please  be  so  kind  as  to  escort  me  to  the 
window  ;  it  is  cooler  there.  Thank  you." 

"  I  fear,  Madame  will  take  cold.  Here, 
pretty  one,  my  arm  will  protect  you." 

11  Sir  !  How  dare  you  !  Mercy  !  What's 
that  !  Remove  your  arm  at  once,  sir,  and 
take  me  back  into  the  room  !  Where  is 
Oscar  ? " 

"  I — I — beg — a  thousand — er — will  Madame 
have  the — the  kindness  to — er — return  my  mon- 
ocle ?  It  has  fallen  in — er — er — her  bodice.  I 
really  must  have  it ;  I  am  so  used  to  it." 

"  Leave  me,  sir,  at  once  !  Oh,  Oscar,  I  am 
so  glad  you  have  come.  I  wish  to  go  home 
immediately,  and  if  you  do  not  take  me  I  shall 
be  obliged  to  leave  alone.'' 

11  Why,  what  has  happened,  dear  ? " 

"  Never  mind  what  has  happened.  I  am 
tired,  and  wish  to  go  home.  Will  you  take 
me,  or  do  I  go  alone  ?  " 

"  Why,  Minna  !     The  Grand  Duke  has  just 
252 


1  Leave  me,  sir,  at  once. 


The  Royal  Ball. 

asked   me   to   arrange   the   next  dance  with 
you." 

"  Well,  I  am  sorry,  Oscar.  The  Grand 
Duke  will  be  obliged  to  seek  some  else  for  the 
dance.  I  shall  not  dance  with  him  nor  any  one 
else  to-night." 

"  Very  well,  Minna,  if  you  insist  upon  it  I 
will  take  you  home  ;  but  you  have  not  danced 
with  me,  and  his  Majesty  has  not  yet  arrived. 
You  must  be  presented  to  him  by  all  means." 

"  I  have  danced  with  you  before,  Oscar  ;  so 
please,  please  take  me  away  from  this  place. 
The  Czar,  I  will  meet  some  other  time.  Here 
comes  Madame  Karapot ;  tell  her  we  are  go- 
ing home." 

"Why,  what  is  the  matter,  child?" 

"  I  am  going  home,  Madame." 

"  Nonsense  !  The  ball  is  only  just  begin- 
ning, and  the  Grand  Duke  desires  the  next 
dance  with  you.  Why,  you  are  the  envy  of 
all  the  ladies  present !  " 

"  My  dear  Madame,  I  am  going  home  !  " 

"Minna!"  You  will  surely  wait  until  you 
have  danced  with  the  Grand  Duke  !  You 

must  not  disappoint  him  ;  and  you  must  not 

253 


Minna. 

forget  that  you  have  not  yet  been  presented  to 
His  Majesty." 

"  I  am  an  American  girl ;  and  if  I  do 
not  choose  to  dance  with  the  Grand  Duke  or 
meet  the  Czar,  I  do  not  see  wherein  I  am 
compelled  to  do  so.  And  I  say  most  emphat- 
ically that  I  refuse  to  dance  with  him  ;  he  is 
no  more  to  me  than  any  other  man." 

11  My  dear  girl,  you  are  in  Russia  and,  must 
do  as  the  Russians  do.  So  you  will  please  act 
as  befits  a  Russian  court  lady." 

"Well,  if  I  am  a  Russian  because  my  future 
husband  is  one— why,  if  that  is  your  law,  I 
cannot  change  it.  And  if  your  Russian  ladies 
come  to  a  court  ball  to  exhibit  their  bare 
bodies,  and  your  Russian  gentlemen  are  at 
liberty  to  do  anything  they  please,— why,  I  do 
not  like  it,  and  I  am  going  HOME  ! " 

11  Minna  ! " 

"  Madame  ! — Once  more,  Oscar,  will  you 
take  me  home  ?  Or  shall  I  be  compelled  to  go 
alone  ? " 

"  Come  with  me,  dear,  we  will  go  at  once. 
Bow  pleasantly  as  if  nothing  had  happened. — 

Smile  to  the  Grand  Duke  ;  we  are  passing  him — 

254 


The  Royal  Ball. 

no,  you  had  better  act  as  though  you  felt 
faint  and  were  obliged  to  go  home. — There, 
that  will  do,  we  are  past  them  all  now. — Here 
is  the  carriage,  dear,  get  in  quickly — Shasinka, 
drive  to  the  castle  as  rapidly  as  possible. — Now, 
dear,  tell  me  what  happened." 

"  Oh,  Oscar  !  I  am  very,  very  sorry  you  ever 
took  me  to  such  a  place.  You  knew  I  do  not 
approve  of  such  exhibitions.  Beside,  one  of 
the  noble  gentlemen  with  whom  I  had  been 
dancing  took  me,  at  my  request,  into  the  re- 
cess of  a  window  in  one  of  the  anterooms." 

"  Well,  that  was  all  right.  But  what  hap- 
pened that  vexed  you  so  ?  " 

"  What  happened  !  Why,  he  professed  a 
fear  that  because  the  window  was  open  I  might 
take  cold ;  so  he  put  his  arm  around  my 
shoulder  and  tried  to  force  himself  so  closely 
to  me  that  he  dropped  his  monocle  into  my 
bodice.  I  should  think  that  was  enough  for  a 
gentleman  to  apologize  and  leave  ;  but  no,  he 
had  the  impudence  to  ask  me  to  return  it.— 
Here  is  one  of  your  society  eyes  that  has  been 
scorching  my  skin.  I  have  felt,  ever  since  it 

dropped  there,  as  if  all  the  fires  of  hell  were 

255 


Minna. 

burning  my  soul.  Never,  never  again  will  I 
undergo  such  humiliation." 

"There  !  There  !  Don't  cry,  dear,  you  will 
never  have  to  do  it  again.  I  agree  with  you 
that  it  is  horrible,  and  fully  sympathize  with 
you  ;  I  do  not  blame  you  in  the  least." 

"  Oh,  Oscar !  How  could  you  have  introduced 
your  future  wife  to  such  women  !  Why  during 
the  twenty-five  minutes  I  spoke  to  the  Grand 
Duchess,  she  told  me  enough  to  keep  me  from 
ever  entering  society  again.  Why,  she  pointed 
out  every  woman  in  the  room,  and  told  me 
who  their  lovers  were.  She  called  by  name 
the  mistress  of  every  married  man — they  were 
all  there, — and  you  and  I  were  there,  Oscar. 
Just  think  of  it !  You  may  do  as  you  please  ; 
but  I — I  am  done  withWt  forever" 

"  It  shall  be  as  you  wish,  dear.  By  the  way, 
who  was  the  scoundrel  that  dropped  his  mono- 
cle in  your  bodice  ? '' 

"  Why,  the  one  I  danced  with  last,  you  saw 
me  with  him.  I  felt  I  could  strike  him  but  I 
had  to  content  myself  with  calling  him  the 
Grand  Duke's  valet." 

"  Valet  is  too  good  a  name  for  him.     I  have 

256 


The  Royal  Ball. 

wondered  what  made  him  so  popular  with  the 
Grand  Duke." 

"He  has  a  title,  has  he  not?" 

"  Oh,  yes.  He  could  not  have  been  at  the 
bail  unless  he  was  titled." 

"  Well,  Oscar,  I  hope  that  yom  grand-par- 
ents did  not  earn  their  titles  by  such  services." 

"  It's  hard  telling,  Minna.  But  here  we  are 
at  the  castle.  Now  go^to  your  apartments  and 
quiet  yourself.  Your  presentation  has  been 
too  exciting  ;  you  are  all  unstrung — Good- 
night, dear." 


'7  257 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  GREAT   RUSSIAN  CRIME. 

WHAT  a  dreadful  affair  that  ball  was  last 
night !  I  shall  never  go  to  another  court  ball 
as  long  as  I  live.  Never  !  The  others  were 
bad  enough  but  the  extreme  decollete'  oi  these 
court  gowns  is  dreadful.  It  is  shocking.  What 
a  fright  that  woman  was  !  Why,  she  was  fully 
fifty  years  old  and  her  face  was  covered  with 
black  hairs.  Her  features  were  so  coarse  I 
thought  at  first  she  was  a  man.  How  dreadful 
for  such  a  woman  to  appear  in  full  evening 
dress  !  And  her  bodice  was  cut  extremely 
low,  too.  As  if  it  was  not  enough  to  display 
her  face.  Where  were  her  eyes  that  she  could 
not  see  how  ridiculous  she  was  !  Where  was 
her  husband  that  he  allowed  her  to  appear  in 
public  in  that  fashion  !  It  is  dreadful. 

I  wonder  where  the  signal  is  !  Can  it  be  that 
in  the  excitement  they  have  forgotten  me  ? 

They  promised  to  signal  to  me  from  the  other 

258 


The  Great  Russian  Crime. 

side  of  the  lake.  Perhaps  the  first  one  didn't 
do  the  work.  Mercy!  This  suspense  is  dread- 
ful. Can  anything  have  happened  ?  Perhaps 
it  isn't  time  yet.  Yes  it  is.  Oscar  said  he 
would  leave  the  palace  about  eleven  for  a  drive 
along  the  Ekaterinofsky  Canal.  It  is  now  a 
quarter  past ;  and  no  signal  yet.  Perhaps  he 
was  delayed.  Still,  fifteen  minutes  is  hardly 
time  for  any  one  to  get  to  the  lake  and  set  the 
signal  for  me.  I  must  wait  here  until  dinner 
time  ;  and  if  there  is  no  signal  by  then,  I 
shall  know  our  plans  have  miscarried. 

Is  that  voices  I  hear  ?  Or  am  I  only  nervous 
and  imagine  it  ?  No,  it  is  voices  !  Heavens  !  it 
is  Madame  Karapot  ;  and  some  one  is  with 
her  !  How  can  I  get  away  without  their  seeing 
me !  If  they  should  find  me  here  they  would 
think  me  guilty  of  listening  when  I've  no  such 
intentions.  I  shall  have  to  stay  here  until  they 
go  away.  They  are  just  at  the  foot  of  the 
stairs, — the  only  means  of  getting  out  of 
this  turret.  What  is  that  Madame  Karapot  is 
saying  ? — '  Something  of  great  importance  '  to 
tell  Oscar  ?  What  can  it  be  !  Does  she  know 

anything,  I  wonder  ?  Yes,  I  must  stay  here  !  I 

259 


Minna. 

might  hear  some  information  that  will  help  our 
cause.  That's  Oscar  talking. 

"  Now,  mother,  what  is  it  that  makes  you 
appear  so  pleased  and  unhappy  at  the  same 
time?" 

"  My  son,  you  have  been  blinded  by  this 
woman  whom  you  have  picked  up  in  America. 
I  want  you  to  listen  to  me  ;  and  if  what  I  have 
to  say  does  not  open  your  eyes  to  the  true 
character  of  this  woman,  I  assure  you,  upon 
my  word,  I  will  never  speak  one  detrimental 
word  of  her  again." 

"Well,  mother,  what  is  it?     Speak,  please." 

"  My  son,  your  so  modest  American  woman, 
who  refuses  to  go  to  a  ball  in  full-dress,  and 
thinks  our  society  ladies  unfit  to  associate  with, 
finds  it  very  convenient,  at  eleven  o'clock  at 
night,  when  her  betrothed  is  not  at  home,  to 
meet  her  lover  in  the  garden,  kiss  and  embrace 
him,  promenade  around  with  him  for  an  hour 
or  so,  and,  when  bidding  him  an  affectionate 
adieu,  hand  him  a  purse  of  gold,  and  then  re- 
turn to  us,  an  angel." 

"  Stop,  mother  !     I  will  listen  to  no  more, 

It  is  not  true.     I  will  not  hear  one  word  against 

260 


The  Great  Russian  Crime. 

Minna.  Such  nonsensical  talk  !  My  Minna — 
A  lover  !  Really  this  is  too  good  to  enjoy 
alone.  I  must  have  Minna  join  me.  My 
Minna  with  a  lover !  Thank  you,  Madame, 
for  the  information.  I  regret  that  I  can  remain 
no  longer.  I  do  not  care  to  hear  any  more." 

"  Stop,  Oscar  !  This  woman  has  certainly 
hypnotized  you.  You  say  I  have  not  spoken 
the  truth  ?  Good  !  Then  I  must  prove  it  to 
you.  Will  you  be  convinced  when  you  see 
for  yourself  ?  She  does  not  expect  you  to  be 
home  to-night,  and  the  signal  is  in  the  window 
to  that  effect.  Whenever  she  has  a  large  vase 
filled  with  roses  on  the  little  table  by  the 
window,  it  is  the  signal  to  her  lover  that  he 
may  come  and  that  you  will  not  be  at  home. 
Why,  you  may  ask  her  maid.  She  must  tell 
the  truth,  for  she  sits  but  a  few  yards  behind 
the  hedge,  waiting  for  her  mistress  until  she 
is  through  with  her  lover.  You  see  the  maid  is 
useful  as  a  shield  so  that,  in  case  the  mistress 
meets  any  one  while  on  her  way  home,  she 
will  not  be  questioned  about  being  out  alone. 
Your  so  virtuous  future  wife  !  Bah  !  " 

"  I  do  not  believe  one  word  you  have  said, 
261 


Minna. 

Madame.  If  Minna  receives  anybody  in  the 
garden  with  caresses  and  kisses,  it  is  all  right, 
because  she  would  do  no  wrong." 

"  Oscar  !  Oscar  !  I  feel  very  sorry  for  you. 
My  God  !  How  can  a  mother  see  her  only 
son's  betrothed  receiving  her  lover  at  night,  on 
her  future  husband's  premises  !  Shall  I  be 
silent  about  it  ?  Would  I  be  a  true  mother  if 
I  was  ?  I,  your  mother,  have  humiliated 
myself,  by  sending  out  servants  to  spy  upon 
this  woman.  Do  you  think  a  public  scandal 
would  be  very  pleasant  for  me  ?  Do  you  think 
I  would  allow  my  honorable  name  to  be  scan- 
dalized in  the  drawing-rooms  of  the  society 
ladies  who  are  so  jealous  of  my  reputation  ? 
No  !  Not  for  anything  in  the  world !  The 
doors  of  the  royal  palace  have  been  opened 
through  me  ;  and  the  title  of  '  Lord  '  was 
given  to  your  father  through  me.  You,  my 
son,  may  receive  any  favor  of  the  Czar  that 
you  wish.  The  high  reputation  of  your  mother 
has  done  it  all.  And  now  you  have  brought 
this  beggar  into  my  house.  The  jllegitmate 
child  of  a  Jewess  !  " 

"  She  is  no  beggar  ;  the  Czar  himself  was 
262 


The  Great  Russian  Crime. 

the  one  who  sent  me  to  search  for  her.  He  im- 
plored me  to  find  her, — to  bring  her  to  him. 
The  Czar  is  a  great  man  and  I  do  not  think 
he  would  take  such  an  interest  in  a  beggar. " 

"  What  !  You  say  it  is  the  Czar  who  sent 
you  to  America  ?  And  you  intend  to  marry 
the  cast-off  mistress  of  the  Czar  ?  Why,  this  is 
the  most  extraordinary  thing  I've  ever  heard  ! 
The  mistress  of  the  Czar  under  my  roof !  No, 
No  !  That  is  more  than  I  will  stand.  If  you 
are  bound  to  marry  this  woman,  Oscar,  then 
take  her  and  leave  my  house,  never  to  return  !  " 

"  Very  well,  Madame  ;  I  will  go  to  Minna  at 
once." 

"  Go  to  Minna  !  Where  is  she  ?  She  is 
not  in  her  apartments  for  I  have  looked  for  her 
there  to  demand  an  apology  for  her  ridiculous 
behavior  at  the  court  last  night.  Neither  is 
she  in  the  gardens,  for  I  have  had  them 
searched.  She  must  be  somewhere  about,  for 
no  one  has  seen  her  go  out." 

"Never  mind,  Madame.  I  will  find  her  and 
we  will  leave  the  castle  in  a  few  hours.  I  have 
just  returned  from  the  palace,  and  His  Majesty 

has  appointed  three  o'clock  this  afternoon  for 

263 


Minna. 

a  private  audience.  He  commands  me  to  pre- 
sent her  at  that  time.  I  bid  you  good-morn- 
ing." 

There,  now  they  are  gone,  I  can  slip  back 
to  my  apartments  without  being  seen.— Mercy  ! 
Madame  Karapot  was  agitated.— And  to  think 
she  should  make  it  her  business  to  denounce 
me  to  Oscar  !— Noble  fellow  !  He  wouldn't 
believe  it. — I  knew  he  wouldn't. — Here  he 
comes.  He  must  have  been  looking  all  over 
for  me. 

"  Ah!  Here  you  are,  dear.  I  knew  I  would 
find  you  in  your  apartments.  Mother  said 
you  were  not  here.  I  thought  she  must  be 
mistaken.  You  must  excuse  me,  dear,  for  en- 
tering so  unceremoniously,  but  I  have  had  an 
unpleasant  interview  with  my  mother.  You 
see,  Minna  dear,  they  have  been  spying  on  you. 
How  can  I  tell  you!  Mother  tried  to  tell  me — 
but  really,  I  am  at  a  loss  to  know  how  to  repeat 
such  nonsensical  talk.  Minna,  I  understand 
you  have  a  handsome  young  man  visiting  you 
at  night  when " 

"  Stop,  Oscar!     I  heard  it  all." 

"  You  heard  it  all?     Why,  where  were  you?" 
264 


The  Great  Russian  Crime. 

"  In  the  turret.  You  were  talking  in  the 
corridor  just  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs  and  I 
could  not  get  out.  Noble  soul,  you  didn't 
believe  it,  did  you  ? " 

"Of  course  not.  And  because  I  did  not 
believe  it  we  are  both  ordered  out  of  the 
house." 

"  Yes,  I  know,  I  heard,  Oscar.  But  you  do 
not  even  ask  me  if  it  is  true." 

11 1  would  not  be  guilty  of  asking  such  a 
question.  I  know  you.  Come  here  you  little 
cheat  and  give  me  back  all  those  kisses  you 
gave  your  sweetheart.  I  must  have  them  all 
back." 

11  Oscar,  suppose  I  were  to  tell  you  it  is  true, 
that  I  do  meet  some  one  in  the  arbor  at  eleven 
at  night  and  kiss  him  and  give  him  a  purse  full 
of  gold?  Would  you  believe  it  then?  Yes, 
Oscar,  it  is  true.  The  young  man  who  comes 
to  see  me,  my  dear,  is  so  noble!  Oh,  what  a 
soul  he  has,  Oscar!  Men  and  women  fall  in 
love  with  him." 

"Minna! — Forgive  me,  dear;  I  was  stunned 
for  a  moment.  You  will  tell  me  who  it  is, 

won't  you? " 

265 


Minna. 

"  Yes,  I  will  tell  you,  my  dear,  but  you  must 
have  patience  a  little  longer." 

"  Then  you  are  going  to  have  a  secret  from 
your  future  husband  ? " 

"Yes." 

"  I  could  have  sworn  that  my  Minna  would 
have  no  secret  from  me." 

11  Do  you  remember,  Oscar,  when  we  be- 
came engaged,  you  gave  me  full  permission  to 
lead  an  absolutely  independent  life?  And  I 
have,  my  dear.  But  do  not  fear,  I  am  still 
your  Minna,  just  the  same  as  when  you  first 
met  me;  and  my  lover  who  comes  to  the  arbor 
at  night  is  not  dangerous." 

11  And  shall  I  have  the  pleasure  of  meeting 
him  ? " 

"  That  lies  in  the  hands  of  God.  Perhaps 
to-night,  perhaps  never." 

"  Why?    What  is  the  reason?  " 

"  If  my  lover  does  not  take  a  long  journey, 
then  you  shall  see  him  to-night.  Meanwhile 
you  must  help  me  burn  all  this  correspond- 
ence from  him,  which  I  was  about  to  do  as 
you  entered." 

"  So  mother's  conversation  frightened  you, 
266 


The  Great  Russian  Crime. 

did  it?  And  you  are  going  to  destroy  all  the 
evidence  against  you? " 

"  Yes,  indeed.  This  package  of  letters,  so 
carefully  concealed  in  this  case,  contains  the 
most  incriminating  evidence  against  me;  and 
here  it  goes.— See  it  burn!  I  prepared  that 
fire  especially  for  its  destruction." 

11  Do  you  feel  easier  now,  my  dear?  Will  you 
sit  down  a  moment  and  listen  to  me?  I  have 
something  of  importance  to  tell  you.  I,  too, 
have  a  little  secret.  Five  years  ago,  the  Czar 
instructed  me  with  a  mission.  He  sent  for 
me  to  come  to  his  private  chamber,  and  told 
me  that  a  most  devoted  General  of  our  country 
was  the  father  of  a  young  girl  who,  as  an  in- 
fant, was  stolen  from  her  mother's  arms.  '  We 
have  traced  her  as  far  as  New  York,'  he  said, 
'and  her  mother  is  a  Jewess  of  a  wealthy 
family.  Now  I  want  you,  my  dear  Oscar,  to 
start  for  America  at  once.  Take  as  much  time 
as  you  wish,  spare  no  expense,  but  find  this 
girl  for  me,  and  thereby  do  me  a  great  favor.' 
Now,  my  dear,  I  went  to  America;  and  you 
may  believe  me,  I  was  true  to  the  mission  on 

which  I  was  sent.     When  I  met  you  in  Chi- 

267 


Minna. 

cago,  I  was  in  the  deepest  despair  and  had 
given  up  all  hope  of  locating  you ;  but  when 
you  insisted  upon  telling  me  the  story  of  your 
life,  it  corresponded,  word  for  word,  so  per- 
fectly with  the  one  the  Czar  had  given  me, 
that  I  was  positive  you  were  the  one  I  was 
sent  to  find.  His  Majesty  had  given  me  a 
letter,  addressed  to  you,  with  instructions  not 
to  deliver  it,  unless  you  resisted  the  proposal 
to  come  to  Russia.  I  found  you  about  to  start 
on  the  search  for  your  parents,  and,  there  be- 
ing no  resistance,  I  withheld  the  letter  accord- 
ing to  instructions.  But  you  resisted  at  the 
ball  last  night  and  would  not  wait  for  His 
Majesty;  so  I  think  it  proper  to  deliver  it  now. 
You  naughty  girl!  You  would  not  wait  to  see 
him  at  the  ball,  and  I  know  he  felt  hurt  about 
it;  but  he  has  so  arranged  matters  that  a  pri- 
vate interview  will  be  held  at  the  palace  this 
afternoon.  Only  your  father, — the  General, — 
with  His  Majesty,  you,  and  myself,  will  be 
there.  Here  is  the  letter;  and  as  my  mother 
has  ordered  us  to  leave  the  castle,  I  consider 
it  most  advisable  for  you  to  read  it  at  once. 

It  may  contain  information  of  importance  to 

268 


The  Great  Russian  Crime. 

you;  and  beside,  I  am  anxious  to  know  which 
officer  is  so  lucky  as  to  be  your  father.  I 
know  every  officer  of  the  government ;  so  do 
read  it  at  once — I  am  all  impatience.  Come, 
why  are  you  so  excited?  Why  do  you  go  to 
the  window  so  often?  You  are  hardly  listen- 
ing to  me  !  Minna,  come  here  and  read  your 
letter,  it  will  inform  you  who  your  father  is  ? " 

"  My  father  !  Will  that  letter  tell  me  who 
my  father  is  ?  Give  it  to  me,  Oscar.  How 
could  you  have  kept  it  from  me  so  long  ?  If 
it  tells  me  who  my  father  is,  it  is  the  most  wel- 
come letter  in  the  whole  world.  How  can  I 
forgive  you  for  keeping  it  so  long  ? — How- 
Oscar  !— My  God  !— " 

"  What  is  it,  Minna  ?  What  is  the  news  ? 
Why  don't  you  speak  ? " 

"  Oscar ! — Oscar  ! — I  am  lost ! — It  is  dark  ; 
I  cannot  see  ! — I  am  choking,  Oscar  !— Air  ! 
— Air  ! — Help  me  ! — Rescue  me  !— Oscar  ! — 
Oscar  !  !  !— " 

"  Minna — Minna  ! — What  is  it  ? — What  is  the 
matter  ?— What  is  there  in  the  letter  that  has 
affected  you  so  ? — Why,  Minna,  you  are  shiver- 
ing—you are  burning  hot — you  are  dying  !— 

269 


Minna. 

Minna  !— Minna  !— Speak  to  me  ! — Tell  me 
what  is  the  matter  !  " 

"  Oscar,  my  darling  !— Pity  me  !— Have 
mercy  ! — Help  me  !— My  God,  is  it  possible 
that  I  who  have  suffered  so  many  years  and 
prayed  to  you,  my  Heavenly  Father,  to  give 
me  my  parents— my  father,  my  mother, — I 
wanted  to  know — have  I  asked  more  than  any 
other  human  being  ?  Even  a  dumb  animal 
possesses  parents  ! — It  is  horrible  ! — It  is  hor- 
rible !— Oh,  Oscar,  this  is  more  than  I  can  en- 
dure !— I  am  strangling  ! — Help  me  ! — My 
heart  is  breaking  !— Oh,  Oscar,  I  have  done 
it  ! — I  loved  him  ! — I  worshiped  him  ! — I 
searched  and  hunted  for  him  ; — and  when  I 
found  him — Heaven  help  me  ! — I  killed  him  ! 
— Pity  me,  Oscar  ! — Pity  me  ! — No  !— No  !— 
Don't  pity  me  ! — I  do  not  deserve  pity  ! — I 
have  sinned  ! — I  am  punished  ! — " 

"  Minna  ! — What  is  it  you  have  done  ? — Who 
has  been  killed  ? " 

"  Come  !— Come  to  the  window,  Oscar  ! — 
See  ! — See  that  man  over  there  ! — There,  on 
the  other  side  of  the  lake  ! — He  is  signaling, 

Oscar !     He  is  signaling  to  me  that  my  lover  is 

270 


The  Great  Russian  Crime. 

in  danger, — and  HE  is  dead! — My  God! — Is 
it  possible  ? — Go  away !— Oscar  ! — Don't  touch 
me  ! — Don't  touch  me  ! — I  have  had  a  secret 
from  you,  Oscar ! — A  most  horrible— terrible- 
secret  ! — Go  away  ! — I  can  never  look  on  your 
face  again !— I  am  not  fit  to  be  touched  by  you 
again  ! — " 

"You  say  you  have  a  secret,  and  you  are 
not  fit  to  be  touched  by  me  ?  Is  it  possible 
that  my  mother  is  right,  after  all  ?  She  said 
you  were  the  Czar's  mistress  ; — and  I  am  about 
to  be  married  to  you  !  You  angel  looking, 
sweet  devil  !  Tell  me  all  ;  or — I — " 

"  Oscar,  darling,  don't  lose  your  reason. — If 
I  am  to  die,  it  will  not  be  by  your  hand,  but 
by  the  hand  of  God. — Don't  stain  your  hand  in 
blood,  as  I  have  mine — in  my  father's  ! — HE 
is  dead  !— Oscar  !— He  is  dead  ! — I  am  the 
murderer  of  my  own  father  ! — Listen,  Oscar — 
I  must  tell  you  all ! — Every  moment  is  precious, 
— and  I  must  fly  from  here  ! — The  lover  that 
came  to  see  me  on  those  nights  when  you  were 
away,— the  one  whom  I  have  embraced  and 
kissed, — is  a  woman, — Oscar  dear, — not  a  man  ! 

— A  woman  Nihilist  who  threw  the  fatal  bomb 

271 


Minna. 

an  hour  ago  that  killed  MY  FATHER,-THE 
CZAR  OF  RUSSIA  !— And  I,  dear  Oscar,— 
was  the  leader  of  the  plot !— I  gave  my  money 
— and  all  the  information  I  could  get  through 
you  of  the  Czar's  whereabouts  ! — And  now  I 
have  killed  him ! — My  father  is  dead  ! — Here 
is  the  letter,  Oscar  !— Read  !— " 

"  My  God  !— This  is  terrible  !.— This  letter 
must  be  burned  too  !— No,  we  must  preserve 
it ! — It  may  help  you  if  trouble  arises  !— You 
must  not  cry  now — we've  no  time  to  lose  ! — I 
must  get  you  out  of  here  immediately  !  " 

"  No  ! — I  must  go  over  there — where  I  am 
needed  ! — They  have  been  signaling  me  ! — 
They  are  in  trouble  ! — I  cannot  desert  them 
now ! " 

"  You  shall  not  go  !  My  Minna  belongs  to 
me,  and  the  mother  belongs  to  her  boy  !  You 
cannot  and  shall  not  go  until  I  say  so  !  I  will 
arrange  to  send  you  immediately  to  a  place  of 
safety ;  and  I  faithfully  promise  you,  on  my 
word  of  honor,  that  I  will  do  all  I  possibly  can 
to  assist  your  lover.  If  she  is  in  any  trouble, 
you  could  not  help  her  ;  but  I,  through  in- 
fluential friends,  might  be  able  to  do  some- 

272 


The  Great  Russian  Crime. 

thing.  If  you  go  near  them  now,  you  will  un- 
doubtedly be  arrested  and  endanger  me  ;  and 
what  will  become  of  your  boy  ?  Try  to  be 
calm  now,  and  I  will  do  everything  possible 
for  them." 

"  Oscar  ! — Oh,  Oscar  ! — I  have  killed  my 
father  ! — I  have  killed  my  father  !  " 

"Yes,  poor  child  !— Only  this  morning  I  saw 
him  alive  when  he  arranged  for  the  private  in- 
terview this  afternoon !  It  is  sad  !  But  we 
must  not  delay  !  We  must  think  now  of  get- 
ting you  away.  They  may  trace  the  plot  to  you 
and  come  here  to  arrest  you  ! — Come  ! — Be 
quick  ! — I  hear  some  one  coming  ! — Wait  ! — 
Let  me  see  who  it  is  ! — Ah  !  don't  worry,  it  is 
only  mother  !  She  is  coming  to  tell  me  the 
news." 

Madame  Karapot  rushed  wildly  into  the 
room. 

"  Well,  my  son  !  Are  you  satisfied  now  ? 
The  soldiers  have  taken  possession  of  my 
garden. — My  house  !  They  are  tearing  down 
the  walls  !  They  are  ransacking  everything  ! 
Think  of  it  Oscar  !  Our  stainless  name  is  to 

be  dragged  down  by  this  woman  !    Oh,  Oscar, 
18  273 


Minna. 

Oscar  !  What  a  degradation  !  What  a  dis- 
grace !  My  God  !  It  is  an  unbearable  humil- 
iation for  us  !  Searching  my  house  for  treason- 
able papers  !  For  Nihilistic  literature  !  Oh, 
Oscar,  think  of  the  terrible  shame  !  We  shall 
all  go  to  Siberia  !  They  will  send  us  all  there  ! 
Why  are  you  standing  there  like  an  image  and 
gazing  at  her  sweet  face  ?  Look  at  that  picture  ! 
Would  any  one  believe  that  Satan  has  housed 
himself  in  that  innocent,  pure-looking,  saintly 
devil?" 

"  Mother,  you  are  surely  mad  !  " 

"  Ah  !  my  son,  now  I  am  mad,  am  I  ?  And 
this  morning  you  said  I  was  a  liar  ! — See,  here 
are  the  police  come  to  arrest  her  !— Officers  do 
your  duty  !  Drag  her  away  from  here  ! — Place 
her  in  the  darkest  of  dark  cells  ! — Put  heavy 
chains  on  her !— Chain  her  down — she  is 
dangerous  ! " 

"  Officer,  stand  back  a  moment  ! — Mother 
pity  me,  and  say  no  more.  Can  you,  a  woman, 
speak  so  bitterly  against  this  poor  helpless 
child  ?  You  know  only  too  well  what  a  fate 
confronts  her.  My  God !  My  Minna !  My 

precious  love  !  You — in— prison  ! For  God's 

274 


The  Great  Russian  Crime. 

sake,  officer,  allow  me  at  least  to  bid  her 
good-bye  ! " 

11  No  one  is  allowed  to  speak  to  Madame. 
My  orders  are  to  place  her  under  immediate  ar- 
rest and  make  a  thorough  search  of  the  castle. 
We  have  done  that,  Madame  Karapot,  and  I 
am  pleased  to  inform  you  that  no  incrimina- 
ting evidence  has  been  found  against  you." 

"  Oh,  Minna  !  Minna  !  Be  brave,  dear  ! 
Everything  will  be  done  for  you  ! — O  God  ! — 
They  are  taking  her  away  !  " 


275 


BOOK  THE  THIRD. 

LIBERTY. 


277 


CHAPTER   I. 

THE     PENALTY. 

I  SHALL  never  forget  the  day,  when,  after  six 
months  in  prison,  Oscar  came  to  see  me  in  my 
cell  and  announced  that  we  would  all  start  for 
Siberia  that  day.  I  was  not  sorry  at  leaving 
that  pest-hole  where  it  was  always  dark  and 
damp,  with  no  ray  of  light  or  sunshine — never 
day  always  night.  The  horror  of  that  place  is 
with  me  still.  The  very  chains  that  bound  me 
rang  out  the  crime  at  every  move— at  every 
stir.  The  very  air  seemed  full  of  the  cry,  "  She 
killed  her  father  !  She  killed  her  father  ! " 
Yet  I  could  not  see  why  they  put  chains  on 
me,  for  no  one  could  ever  have  got  out  of  that 
Satan's  chamber. 

Oh,  the  remorse  of  it  all  !  I  asked  myself 
over  and  over  again,  "Was  it  my  fault  ?"  and 
the  answer  invariably  came,  "  Yes,  it  was  ;  for 
no  person  on  earth  should  ever  go  into  a  con- 
spiracy to  take  another's  life,"  and  I  saw  how 

279 


Minna. 

wrong  it  was  in  me  to  have  lent  assistance  to 
such  a  crime.  "  An  eye  for  an  eye,  a  tooth  for 
a  tooth,"  Moses  taught,  and  I  believed  it  ; 
but  when  the  horror  of  my  crime  was  before 
me,  I  saw  it  in  a  different  light.  "  Too  late  to 
repent  or  regret !"  I  cried,  "  Let  the  punish- 
ment come  !  What  is  this  prison  or  Siberia 
compared  to  the  soul-suffering  of  one  who  is 
conscious  of  having  committed  a  crime  ?  They 
might  take  me  back  to  the  castle  to  live  again 
in  silks  and  laces  ;  it  would  still  be  only  a 
tomb." 

My  anguish  was  increased  by  the  thought  of 
all  I  had  made  poor  Oscar  suffer.  I  felt  that 
I  would  willingly  live  five  hundred  years  and 
live  them  all  in  that  prison,  could  I  take  his 
burden  upon  myself.  I  had  only  one  consola- 
tion, tjiat  I  did  what  I  thought  was  right  ;  yet 
now  that  it  was  over,  I  was  ready  to  pay  any 
price  to  recall  the  deed — to  bend  my  energies 
to  prevent  its  accomplishment  rather  than  as- 
sist in  it.  Still,  I  felt  it  was  only  right  that  I 
should  be  tried  with  my  comrades.  "  No 
favor  for  one,  let  all  suffer  alike,"  I  thought  ; 

and  so,  when   Oscar  begged  me  to  accept  a 

280 


The  Penalty. 

private  trial  I  would  not  consent,  for  I  knew 
that  the  only  hope  of  my  comrades  lay  in  be- 
ing tried  with  me.  Oscar  came  often  to  tell 
me  of  his  efforts  to  secure  my  freedom,  but  I 
begged  him  to  leave  me  to  my  fate. 

"  It  was  a  great  mistake,"  I  sobbed,   "  and 

I  must  pay  the  penalty." 

"  Never  mind,   dear,"    he  said   soothingly, 

II  you  did  wrong  to  give  yourself  wholly  to  the 
influence  of  those  people.     A  great  crime  has 
been  committed  that  has  robbed  Russia  of  a 
kind  and  noble  ruler  ;  but  I  blame  myself.     I 
was  asleep  when  I  should  have  been  awake.  I 
heard  rumors  of  a  plot  to  assassinate  His  Maj- 
esty, but  there  had  been  five  unsuccessful  at- 
tempts upon  his  life,  and  I  had  come  to  be- 
lieve that  nothing  could  happen   to  him.     I 
should  have  listened  to  them  and  done  some- 
thing to  prevent  the  awful  catastrophe." 

"What  could  you  have  done,  Oscar?"  I 
asked. 

"I  don't  know,  dear.  The  Nihilists  had 
often  invited  me  to  join  them,  but  I  put  them 
off.  Had  I  done  so,  I  would  have  been  on 

hand   to  show  them   how  great  a  man  His 

281 


Minna. 

Majesty  was  and  what  great  things  he  was 
planning  for  Russia.  If  they  had  given  him 
time,  they  would  no  doubt  have  lived  to  see 
all  the  reforms  they  want, — and  more,  too.  If 
I  had  only  known,  Minna  ! "  he  said  de- 
jectedly. 

"  You  must  not  be  too  severe  on  yourself, 
Oscar,"  I  said.  "  You  had  nothing  whatever  to 
do  with  the  plot." 

"True,"  he  replied  ;  "  but  see  what  I  could 
have  prevented  if  I  had  been  concerned  in  it. 
Now,  they  have  killed  a  great  and  good  man  ; 
and  thereby  Russia  will  be  thrown  back  fully 
a  quarter  of  a  century.  Why,  Minna,  dear, 
the  very  morning  of  his  assassination  he  left 
on  his  writing-table  an  unsigned  constitution 
for  his  country  ;  and  I  fear  it  will  be  a  long 
time  before  another  ruler  will  come  who  will 
be  ready  to  grant  that  concession.  He  loved 
his  people,  Minna  ;  and  by  that  one  act  of 
emancipating  the  serfs  he  showed  his  greatness. 
I  am  afraid  it  will  be  many  generations  before 
Russia  will  see  his  like  again." 

Leaving  no  stone  unturned,  appealing  from 

one  person  to  another,  Oscar  tried  to  find  help 

282 


The  Penalty. 

for  me,  but  his  efforts  were  without  avail. 
His  dearest  friends  turned  away  as  if  he  were 
infected  with  some  deadly  plague  ;  they  even 
feared  to  converse  with  him,  for  his  arrest  was 
momentarily  expected,  and  they  did  not  wish 
to  become  involved  in  any  difficulty.  Un- 
doubtedly he  would  have  been  arrested  the  same 
day  as  I  but  for  the  powerful  influence  of  his 
mother.  Sick  at  heart,  and  in  desperation,  he 
pleaded  on  his  knees  that  she  should  exert  her 
influence  for  my  release ;  but  she  faithfully 
promised  to  see  that  I  was  kept  where  I  was. 
Receiving  nothing  but  reproaches,  Oscar  left 
the  house  in  despair  and  appealed  again  to  his 
friends ;  but  both  they  and  his  attorney  ad- 
vised that  he  allow  me  to  be  sent  to  Siberia, 
as  it  would  be  more  expedient  to  have  me 
brought  back  and  then  tried  alone.  So,  after 
six  months  of  suffering,  Oscar  had  come  to  bid 
me  good-bye,  for  I  was  about  to  leave  for  the 
mines. 

"  My  darling,"  he  said,  "  I  cannot  accompany 
you,  for  I  must  remain  here  to  prepare  for 
your  early  return  and  a  new  trial,  which  must 

be  secured  not  only  for  your  sake,  but  for  your 

283 


Minna.-' 

child's.  You  have  done  your  duty  in  being 
tried  with  your  comrades,  now  you  must  al- 
low me  to  arrange  matters  for  you.  I  will  tell 
you  what  I  have  found  out,  and  what  I  have 
arranged  so  far.  You  will  travel  with  eleven 
others,  all  charged  with  the  same  conspiracy. 
When  you  reach  headquarters  in  Siberia,  you 
will  all  be  separated  and  sent  to  different 
mines,  as  the  law  there  requires  that  but  two 
prisoners  shall  be  chained  together.  I  feared 
there  might  be  assigned  you,  as  a  companion, 
some  common,  low  criminal  ;  but  I  have  been 
fortunate  enough  to  secure  for  you  a  young 
political  prisoner,  who  was  sentenced  a  year 
ago  on  the  charge  of  being  a  Nihilist.  He  is 
the  cousin  of  a  friend  of  mine,  a  merchant  in 
Moscow,  where  I  met  this  young  man  several 
years  ago.  He  was  once  a  Talmud  student, 
but  now  he  is  highly  accomplished  and  un- 
derstands many  languages.  He  is  handsome, 
refined,  intelligent,  and  will  be  happy  to  be  of 
service  to  me,  for  I  secured  permission  for 
him  to  study  in  Moscow.  You  know  that  no 
Jew  is  permitted  to  live  there  unless  he  be- 
longs to  the  Perva  Gilda. 

284 


The  Penalty. 

"  Our  trusty  servant,  Karl,  will  accompany 
you  on  the  march  and  will  do  everything  pos- 
sible for  your  comfort.  He  has  letters  to  the 
officials,  and  plenty  of  money,  which  he  will 
place  in  the  bank  in  the  nearest  town.  The 
bank-book  will  be  given  to  the  warden  ;  so  you 
will  be  a  welcome  prisoner.  I  wish  to  have 
him  see  that  you  are  well  supplied  with  money, 
for  I  have  learned  thatNhe  is  a  person  who  will 
show  you  special  attention  and  allow  you  many 
privileges, — when  he  sees  there  is  money  for 
him.  You  owe  it  to  me  to  be  free  and  liberal 
with  the  money  and  procure  everything  that 
can  be  obtained." 

"  My  dear  Oscar,"  I  said,  "  it  is  useless  for 
me  to  try  to  thank  you.  You  are  right  that 
I  owe  it  to  you  and  Dady  to  accept  all  your 
efforts.  I  will  do  as  you  say ;  but  don't  risk 
too  much,  for  my  sake,  it  would  only  grieve 
me." 

"  Very  well,  dear;"  he  promised.  "Now, 
I  cannot  be  on  the  bridge  to  bid  you  good- 
bye, for  I  must  pretend  in  public  to  condemn 
your  act.  If  I  were  to  show  the  least  sym- 
pathy, even  though  you  were  my  wife,  I  would 

285 


Minna. 

never  be  able  to  approach  those  friends  who 
have  promised  to  assist  me  in  bringing  you 
back.  It  will  be  but  a  short  time,  dear,  be- 
fore we  are  together  again  ;  so  be  of  good 
cheer  and  remember  always  that  you  leave, 
here  at  home,  at  least  one  who  is  working  for 
you  and  will  soon  have  you  free.  Then, 
Minna,  we  will  be  united  and  go  far  away, 
where  we  can  begin  anew  and  forget  the  past. 
Good-bye,  dear,  good-bye." 

He  left  me  and  the  warden  soon  came  to 
lead  me  out  into  the  yard  where  the  eleven 
prisoners  were  being  prepared  for  the  march 
to  Siberia. 

The  street  from  the  high-road  to  the  jail  was 
lined  with  people,  all  anxious  so  see  the  eleven 
Nihilists  condemned  to  serve  twenty  years  in 
the  mines.  The  gendarmes  had  the  greatest 
difficulty  in  holding  back  the  crowd  so  as  to 
keep  the  road  clear,  and  succeeded  only  by 
threatening  to  send  the  unruly  ones  along  to 
Siberia. 

The  noise  was  deafening  ;  drunken  peasants 
expressed  their  ignorance,  and  even  titled 

officers  contemptuously  proclaimed,  in  bois- 

286 


The  Penalty. 

terous  voices,  the  fate  that  awaited  the  unfor- 
tunates. The  dearest  friends  of  the  prisoners, 
whose  hearts  were  breaking,  looked  into  one 
another's  faces  with  despair,  yet  chatted  and 
laughed  loudly  ;  for,  surrounded  as  they  were 
by  spies  and  police,  they  dared  not  admit  they 
were  friends  of  the  prisoners.  As  soon  as  the 
six  soldiers  appeared,  the  crowd  became  silent. 
Not  a  murmur  arose,  xas  they  mechanically 
raised  their  hats.  Even  the  gendarmes  stood 
motionless  ;  for  the  uproar  of  the  crowd  had 
ceased  and  their  services  were  not  required. 
Black  clouds  overspread  the  sky,  the  air  be- 
came oppressive  and  rain  fell,  as  if  the  heavens 
were  weeping  in  sympathy  with  our  fate.  The 
signal  was  given  ;  and,  as  the  dead  march 
started,  you  could  hear  the  very  stones  echo 
in  despair  at  every  step. 

These  six  were  followed  by  a  detail  of  four 
more  soldiers  guarding  a  tall,  slim,  pale  young 
man,  whose  hands  were  tied  behind  him.  He 
was  a  student  and  the  son  of  refined  parents, 
who  had  counted  the  days,  one  by  one,  until  he 
should  complete  his  university  course  and 

establish  a  name  for  himself.     But  now  he  is 

287 


Minna. 

doomed  to  serve  twenty  years  in  Siberia,  be- 
cause he  had  dared  use  his  brains — and  think. 

A  second  detail  of  four  more  soldiers  guards 
astarved-lookingchild.  Yes,  I  may  call  him  a 
child,  for  he  seemed  no  more  than  fifteen  years 
old,  though  his  mother,  a  poor  widow,  said  he 
was  twenty  one.  He  turned  his  head  to  the 
right  and  then  to  the  left,  as  if  seeking  some- 
one to  come  to  his  rescue  ;  and  his  bloodless 
lips  seemed  about  to  part  and  cry :  "  Oh, 
mamma,  mamma,  I  am  afraid.  Come  and  take 
me  to  your  breast."  His  hands,  too,  were  tied 
behind  him ;  and  trembling  with  fear,  he 
marched  on.  His  offense  ?  He  joined  the 
Nihilists  ;  and  in  so  doing  was  guilty  of  a  great 
crime,  to  be  expiated  by  twenty  years  of  exile. 

This  detail  was  followed  by  a  third  one  of 
four  soldiers  who  guarded  a  handsome  man  of 
about  forty.  Here,  nature  had  moulded  a  per- 
fect creation  and  provided  it  with  external 
beauty,  as  well  as  a  heart  and  brain  ;  the  great- 
ness of  his  soul  shone  through  his  large  soft 
gray  eyes.  He  was  a  professor  in  one  of  the 
high  medical  colleges  of  St.  Petersburg,  and 

possessed  of  the  most  profound   knowledge. 

288 


The  Penalty. 

He  was  the  father  of  four  beautiful  children, 
and  his  handsome  young  wife  idolized  him. 
The  personification  of  benevolence,  the  picture 
of  despair,  he,  too,  was  sentenced  to  twenty 
years  in  Siberia,  because  he  had  upheld  his 
students  who  were  Nihilists. 

The  fourth  detail  guarded  a  young  Jew, 
whose  handsome  face  was  pale,  his  cheeks 
sunken,  his  colorless  lips  cracked  and  dry. 
He  was  defiant  ;  and  the  expression  on  his  face 
seemed  to  say,  "  Well,  what  else  was  to  be  ex- 
pected in  Russia  ?  "  As  he  came  in  sight  a  cry 
rose  from  the  throng,  "  Oh,  Itzie,  my  Itzie  !  " 
He  nodded  his  acknowledgment  and  received 
a  blow  on  the  head  from  one  of  the  soldiers  ; 
yet  he  only  smiled  and  said,  "  Good-bye, 
good-bye,  mother,  dear."  Every  woman  in 
the  vast  throng  was  weeping,  and  some  of  the 
men  were  trying  to  force  back  the  tears,  while 
others  openly  wiped  theirs  away  with  their 
handkerchiefs.  Even  the  drunken  peasants 
sobered  up  sufficiently  to  say,  "  Poor  mother  ! 
Poor  Jewess  !  " 

A   fifth   detail   of  four    soldiers    appeared, 

guarding  an  old  man  of  seventy,  bent  and  gray  ; 
19  289 


Minna. 

a  well-known  and  highly  respected  physician. 
He  turned  his  head  constantly  as  though  look- 
ing for  someone,  and  before  anyone  could 
realize  what  had  occurred,  a  young  girl  sprang 
forward,  threw  her  arms  about  his  neck,  and 
sobbed  as  if  her  heart  would  break,  "  Father, 
oh  father  !  Do  not  leave  me  behind  !  "  The 
chief  of  police  rushed  at  her,  and  with  the  help 
of  the  gendarmes,  brutally  tore  her  away. 
Poor  old  man  !  He  looked  as  if  his  soul  had 
been  parted  from  his  body  ;  as  if  he  were  be- 
reft of  all  reason.  He  stood  still  and  would 
not  move  on.  The  soldier  gave  him  a  push. 
"  Walk  on,  swine,"  he  shouted  and  dealt  him 
a  crushing  blow  under  the  chin.  The  blood 
streamed  from  his  mouth,  but  he  could  not 
wipe  it  away,  for  his  hands  were  tied  behind 
him.  He,  too,  was  on  his  way  to  serve  twenty 
years  because  he  was  a  Nihilist  and  dared 
think. 

This  detail  was  followed  by  another  of  six- 
teen soldiers,  who  guarded  a  wagon  containing 
four  young  men.  They  were  consumptives 
and  so  weak  from  the  dread  disease,  they  were 

unable   to   walk.     They  were  dangerous  stu- 

290 


The  Penalty. 

dents  who  had  dared  use  their  brains,  and 
therefore  had  to  be  guarded  by  soldiers  with 
loaded  rifles,  for  they  were  on  their  way  to 
Siberia  to  serve  a  twenty  years'  sentence. 

The  last  detail  guarded  two  women.  One 
had  short  black  hair,  sparkling  eyes,  and  a 
cheerful,  almost  gay,  expression.  The  other 
one  was— myself.  We  were  both  bare- 
headed, and  held  up  xmr  heads  and  looked 
every  one  in  the  face,  as  if  we  wished  to  bid 
each  a  farewell.  We,  too,  had  been  sentenced 
to  Siberia  for  twenty  years. 

As  we  reached  the  high-road,  a  wagon, 
which  Oscar  had  provided,  was  waiting  to 
convey  me  to  Siberia.  Oscar  himself  was 
there  in  disguise  ;  and  though  I  did  not  see 
him,  I  felt  his  presence.  We  resumed  our 
journey,  and  a  week  passed,  with  nothing  to 
relieve  the  dull  monotony.  Every  one  was 
silent,  and  each  kept  his  sorrows  to  himself  ; 
for  all  had  left  dear  ones  behind.  During  the 
second  week  the  old  physician  became  ill,  and 
so  weak  he  could  no  longer  walk.  I  procured 
a  vehicle  at  one  of  the  stations,  but  we  had  to 

leave  it  with  the  officer  of  the  next  post,  who 

291 


Minna. 

returned  it  to  the  first  station.  Whenever  we 
were  unable  to  secure  a  conveyance,  I  walked 
and  gave  the  old  man  my  wagon  ;  but  I  was 
not  obliged  to  walk  very  long,  for  at  the  end  of 
the  second  week,  he  died.  My  trustworthy 
servant,  Karl,  whom  Oscar  had  had  the  fore- 
sight to  provide,  generously  shared  his  horse 
by  turns  with  the  professor  and  the  child  con- 
vict and  insisted  upon  walking  most  of  the 
time. 

The  melancholy  journey  continued  without 
further  incident,  except  that  we  buried  two  of 
the  poor  consumptive  students.  If  it  happened 
that,  during  one  of  our  periodical  halts  at  the 
posts,  the  soldiers  were  not  soaked  in  vodka, 
their  memories  became  wonderfully  sharp; 
and  by  a  liberal  use  of  the  knout,  they  quickly 
reminded  of  his  negligence  any  poor  wretch 
who,  during  the  march,  being  too  tired  to 
keep  in  step,  had  lagged  behind.  But  alas  ! 
What  could  we  do,  but  stand  and  look  help- 
lessly on ! 

Though  eleven  of  us  left  St.  Petersburg, 
only  eight  arrived  at  Siberia.  We  were  sepa- 
rated at  once  and  the  warden  showed  me  to  a 

292 


The  Penalty. 

specially  prepared  room,  with  a  stone  floor 
and  cold,  damp,  dreary  walls,  down  which  the 
water  was  dripping.  It  was  pitch  black  ;  and 
when  the  door  of  the  dark  corridor  was  opened, 
the  foul  air  from  the  other  cells  was  wafted 
into  mine.  But  it  was  appreciated, — for  it  was 
the  best  to  be  had.  There  was  no  chair,  no 
bench,  nor  table ;  only  a  sack  of  straw  which 
served  as  a  bed. 

In  this  place  I  prepared  to  serve  my  sentence, 
knowing  not  how  long  it  would  be,  thinking 
only  of  the  one  great  certainty — that  I  had 
killed  my  father  and  the  punishment  suited 
the  crime. 


CHAPTER  II. 

SIBERIA. 

KARL,  who  had  arrived  two  days  before,  came 
in  sobbing  and  kissed  my  hand. 

"  Oh,  Madame,  Madame  !  It  is  the  best  I 
could  do,"  he  said.  "  They  allowed  me  to  scrub 
the  room  and  put  new  straw  in  the  sack,  but 
that  was  all.  If  you  could  see  the  other  cells, 
you  would  realize  the  great  favor  that  has  been 
granted  you  ;  yours  is  a  queen's  room  com- 
pared to  the  others.  They  are  filthy,  and  full  of 
vermin  and  disease.  The  sacks  have  lain  on 
the  floors  for  years ;  many  have  died  on  them 
and  they  have  never  been  changed.  See, 
mistress,"  he  went  on,  "  up  here  near  the  top 
of  the  wall  is  a  small  grating,  which  opens  into 
the  next  cell ;  and  when  you  talk  here  you 
can  be  plainly  heard  in  there.  That  cell  is  oc- 
cupied by  the  young  Nihilist,  Josef,  of  whom 

the  Count  spoke  ;  he  will  be  your  working  com- 

294 


Siberia. 

panion.  These  are  the  only  two  cells  so  con- 
nected in  the  prison  ;  so  I  managed  to  clean 
his  as  well  as  yours,  and  he  has  just  moved  in. 
You  cannot  imagine  how  he  appreciated  the 
change.  He  was  delighted  with  the  letter  the 
Count  sent  him  and  assures  me  that  he  will 
protect  you  with  his  life." 

The  warden  soon  appeared  and  said  it  was 
time  for  Karl  to  leave.  He  gave  me  permis- 
sion to  remain  out  of  doors  for  one  hour  in  the 
evening  under  heavy  guard.  When  they  had 
departed  I  threw  myself  on  the  sack  of  straw 
and,  being  utterly  exhausted,  fell  asleep.  I  did 
not  waken  until  I  heard  the  peal  of  a  great 
gong  and  the  rattle  of  a  large  key  in  the  lock 
of  my  door.  A  guard  placed  a  cup  of  water 
and  some  dry  bread  in  the  cell.  I  could  see 
by  the  lantern  what  he  had  left,  but  when  he 
was  gone,  all  was  darkness  again.  A  short 
time  after,  I  heard  a  whistle  blow,  and  the 
door  was  again  opened.  A  guard  unlocked 
the  chain  that  secured  me  by  the  ankle  to  the 
wall,  and  giving  me  a  violent  push,  led  me  into 
a  large  room  where  there  were  several  women 

convicts.     Here,   he  informed  us,  we    might 

295 


Minna. 

wash  ourselves  in  the  dirty  water,  if  we  chose 
to  do  so,  and,  one  after  another,  we  washed, 
without  the  water  being  changed.  Several 
women  spoke  to  me,  as  if  willing  to  become 
friends  ;  but  I  sought  only  the  dark-eyed  young 
girl  who  had  been  my  companion  in  the 
march.  I  looked  and  looked,  but  alas  !  it  was 
in  vain. 

In  about  fifteen  minutes  we  were  led  out, 
and  I  was  chained  to  a  large  wheel-barrow, 
the  others  being  chained  two  by  two.  Some 
of  the  women  were  bound  to  other  women, 
the  rest  were  chained  to  men.  The  warden 
approached  leading  a  young  man  ;  and,  as  he 
drew  near,  I  pulled  my  small  shawl  over  my 
head  and  down  on  my  face,  for  I  hardly  knew 
whether  I  was  dreaming  or  awake.  He  was 
brought  over  to  a  cart  and  chained  to  it.  An- 
other chain,  which  secured  his  ankle,  was 
looped  to  a  band  around  mine,  and  two  sol- 
diers, who  were  waiting  at  the  gate,  marched 
us  off.  When  we  had  gone  about  half  the  dis- 
tance, my  companion  turned  to  one  of  them 
and  said,  "I  will  give  you  each  a  ruble  to-night 

and  will  give  it  often,  if  you  will  permit  me  to 

296 


Siberia. 

help  this  lady."  The  soldier  turned  to  his 
companion  for  a  moment  and  then  replied, 
"  Chorusho"  (good). 

In  half  an  hour,  pulling  our  cart  and  drag- 
ging our  heavy  chains,  we  reached  the  mines. 
"Is  it  possible,"  I  wondered,  "that  Oscar, 
should  have  been  the  innocent  instrument  by 
which  I  was  chained  to  this  man  ?  Why  is  he 
here  ?  What  a  strange  world  ! " 

How  long  I  mused  thus,  I  did  not  know, 
until  I  was  startled  by  my  companion  touch- 
ing me. 

"  Madame,"  he  said,  "  will  you  please  lay 
your  hands  on  the  cart  and  pretend  to  be  pull- 
ing it  ?  I  will  do  the  real  pulling,  for  I  can  do 
it  easily ;  I  am  strong,  and  it  is  not  hard  for 
me.  Try  not  to  be  downcast  and  melancholy ; 
I  have  addressed  you  several  times,  but  ap- 
parently you  did  not  hear  me.  You  are  a 
Nihilist,  Madame,  and  a  woman  of  your  stand- 
ing, so  clever  and  bright,  must  make  the  best 
of  the  situation.  You  have  twenty  years  to 
serve,  and  that  is  a  long  time  in  such  a  place. 
I  have  been  here  a  whole  year,  and  know  what 

it  means  ;  but  I  am  satisfied  that  every  stone  I 

297 


Minna. 

lift  in  this  cart  is  a  burden  taken  from  our  suf- 
fering Russia.  Nothing  is  lost  to  nature  ;  our 
humiliation  and  hard  labor  are  all  recorded. 
No  good  cause  can  be  gained  without  some 
sacrifice  ;  so  I  have  filled  our  carts  with  as 
much  as  I  could  get  in.  My  work  is  light ;  I 
could  dance  with  these  heavy  chains,  without 
becoming  fatigued.  Come,  come !  Let  us 
waste  no  time.  Let  us  empty  our  loads  and  re- 
fill them." 

My  eyes  opened  wide  in  astonishment  as  I 
listened  to  him.  "  Is  it  possible,"  I  wondered 
"  that  he  can  really  be  so  clever  ?"  I  remem- 
bered that  I  had  never  heard  him  talk,  so  it 
was  possible  he  had  always  been  brilliant. 

"  You  must  not  fill  my  cart  again  ;  "  I  said. 
"  I  must  do  my  own  share." 

I  laid  my  hand  on  the  cart  and  pulled  as 
hard  I  could  ;  but  it  was  necessary  for  him  to 
help,  or  I  would  never  have  got  it  to  the  dump. 
He  emptied  both  our  carts  ;  and  as  we  re- 
turned, I  noticed  that  he  always  moved  the 
foot  attached  to  my  chain  with  a  quick,  for- 
ward jerk,  so  that  the  chain,  which  was  quite 

long,  always  shot  ahead  of  me.     I  was  under 

298 


Siberia. 

the  impression  that  one  of  his  feet  was  hurt, 
and  I  could  not  comprehend  how  he  could 
endure  the  strain  of  standing  all  day  ;  so  I 
insisted  on  helping  him  fill  the  next  cart. 

I  took  his  advice  and  tried  to  forget  my  con- 
dition, and  even  exchanged  a  few  words  with 
him.  "  Money  is  a  wonderful  power,"  he 

said.     "  Without  it  we  would  never  have  been 

\ 

able  to  speak  a  word  to  each  other ;  the  two 
rubles  have  done  it  all  ! " 

After  we  had  filled  two  carts  and  emptied 
them  again,  the  soldiers  gave  us  permission  to 
be  seated  and  partake  of  our  lunch,  which  con- 
sisted of  the  usual  diet, — bread  and  water. 

The  rest  of  the  day  we  said  very  little,  and 
worked  on  in  silence.  In  the  evening  we  were 
taken  to  our  cells  again,  where  we  found  a  very 
small  dim  light,  a  cup  of  water  and  some  dry 
bread.  Presently  the  warden  came  and  in- 
formed me  that  he  had  received  a  visit  from 
some  officials  of  a  near-by  city,  by  whose  per- 
mission I  was  to  have  better  food,  if  I  wished 
to  pay  for  it ;  and,  if  I  desired,  I  might  have  a 
book — that  is,  if  I  paid  for  it. 

Josef  overheard  our  talk,  and  calling  to  the 
299 


Minna. 

warden,  asked  if  he  might  speak.  Permission 
being  granted,  he  asked  if  he  would  have  the 
kindness  to  give  the  books  to  him  to  read,  in- 
stead of  to  me.  "  The  light  is  so  poor,"  he 
said,  "  it  would  hurt  her  eyes.  I  can  read  to 
her,  for  my  eyes  are  strong."  Though  I  felt  I 
could  not  permit  him  to  ruin  his  eyes  for  me, 
I  comprehended  that  he  also  was  lonesome, 
and  that  it  would  be  better  for  him  to  have  the 
books  so  we  could  both  enjoy  them.  The 
warden  asked  me  if  I  desired  to  have  him  read, 
and  I  assented. 

Josef  asked  so  many  questious  we  did  very 
little  reading  that  evening.  He  was  a  Nihilist 
and  had  been  a  year  away  from  civilization  ; 
so,  naturally,  he  was  anxious  to  know  what  had 
occurred  during  that  time.  He  thanked  me  for 
all  the  information  I  gave  him,  and  finally,  we 
bade  each  other  good-night,  and  I  was  soon 
asleep. 

Five  months  soon  passed.  One  morning, 
while  I  was  waiting  for  the  soldiers  to  chain 
Josef  to  my  cart,  I  noticed  that  he  walked 
unusually  straight;  but  as  soon  as  he  was  linked 

to  me,  he  once  more  became  lame. 

300 


Siberia. 

"Josef,"  I  said,  "  tell  me;  are  these  chains 
so  heavy  that  they  affect  your  foot  ?  I  have 
noticed  that  when  you  have  them  on,  you  walk 
with  a  peculiar  jerk,  yet  you  are  straight  at 
other  times.  Do  they  hurt  your  foot?" 

The  tears  sprang  to  his  eyes;  and  though 
he  tried  to  hold  them  back,  they  coursed 

down  his  cheeks  as  he  replied,  "  Yes,  they  are 

\ 

heavy."  Then  I  realized  for  the  first  time 
that  he  had  purposely  made  the  chains  shoot 
ahead,  so  that  I  would  not  have  to  drag 
them. 

"Oh,  Josef!"  I  cried,  "You  must  not  do 
that.  Your  own  chain  is  heavy  enough.  Let 
me  drag  mine." 

"You  have  twenty  years  before  you,  my 
dear  Madame,"  he  replied,  "and  may  God  help 
you.  Have  you  ever  looked  over  there  ? "  he 
asked.  I  looked  in  the  direction  in  which  he 
was  pointing  and  saw  in  the  distance  some- 
thing I  could  not  discern  very  well;  so  I  asked 
what  they  were. 

"  They  are  skeletons,"  he  replied;  "  but  life 
is  not  yet  gone.  They  are  unfortunates  who 

have   become   maniacs ;    poor    convicts    who 

301 


Minna. 

have  served  many  years  in  the  mines  and, 
crushed  by  such  a  life,  have  lost  all  reason. 
They  have  no  friends  or  relatives  to  assist 
them  so  they  are  forced  to  live  on  bread  and 
water.  Thank  God,  their  time  will  soon 
expire  !  " 

"Can't  I  do  something  for  them?"  I  in- 
quired. "  I  might  have  the  warden  serve  them 
at  least  one  good  meal  a  day.  I  have  plenty 
of  money  and  would  gladly  assist  them." 

"  No,  Madame,"  he  replied,  "  I  would  advise 
you  not  to.  It  would  only  compel  them  to 
struggle  longer.  The  sooner  they  are  relieved 
of  their  wretchedness,  the  better  it  will  be  for 
them."  And  I  knew  he  was  right. 

One  evening,  after  we  had  retired  to  our 
cells,  I  called  through  the  grating  to  Josef  and 
told  him  he  had  better  go  to  sleep  instead  of 
reading,  for  I  noticed  he  had  not  been  feeling 
very  well.  He  was  quiet  for  a  while;  then 
suddenly  he  called  : 

"  Are  you  asleep,  Madame  ? " 

II  No,"  I  replied  "  not  yet." 

II 1  was  just  thinking,"  he  continued,  "  how 

much  easier  my  burden  is  to  bear  than  yours. 

302 


Siberia. 

As  bitter  as  my  cup  is,  it  contains  one  consola- 
tion;—there  is  no  one  to  worry  about  me.  I 
have  not  left  behind  a  single  person  who 
cares  a  jot  where  I  am.  There  are  no  tears 
for  me,  no  aching  hearts;  I  am  all  alone.  I 
am  all  alone,  and  that  helps  me  to  bear  my 
burden." 

"  Why,  Josef,"  I  exclaimed,  "  that  is  very 
surprising  !  Have  you  not  left  a  sweetheart 
behind?" 

14  Yes,  I  have  left  a  sweetheart  behind;  one 
whom  I  loved  dearly.  She  hated  me,  though 
she  scarcely  knew  me.  I  have  been  married, 
— that  is  to  say,  I  was  forced  into  a  marriage 
when  I  was  a  young  man  and  did  not  under- 
stand the  world.  I  had  no  idea  what  marriage 
meant,  nor  what  its  duties  were.  I  was  a  lazy, 
worthless  fellow — never  had  any  bringing  up 
— just  grew  like  a  wild  weed;  and  she,  poor 
girl,  was  dragged  into  the  marriage,  I  pre- 
sume, as  well  as  myself.  I  never  dared  look 
at  her  with  open  eyes  until  three  hours  after 
our  wedding,  when,  though  half  asleep,  I  saw 
she  was  a  pretty  girl,  with  a  very  innocent  and 
childish  face.  God  bless  her,  wherever  she 

3°3 


Minna. 

may  be!  She  hated  me  and  ran  away.  I 
have  traveled  considerably,  I  have  met  many 
women  and  have  had  many  opportunities  to 
re-marry;  but  my  only  longing  and  prayer  has 
been  to  see  her  again.  I  have  always  treas- 
ured the  hope  that,  if  we  ever  met  again,  she 
might  learn  to  love  me;  but  of  course,  since 
coming  here,  I  have  given  up  all  hope  of  ever 
seeing  her  again.  Sometimes,  I  imagine  that 
I  will  live  through  it  all  and  still  have  a  chance 
to  meet  her;  but  of  course  it  is  only  an  idle 
dream,  the  result  of  constant  thinking  of  her. 
Whenever  I  see  a  strange  woman,  I  almost 
run,  and  imagine  it  might  be  she.  I  know  it 
is  foolish  ;  but  what  can  we  do?  We  are 
human  and  will  be  afflicted  with  such  weak- 
ness, in  spite  of  all  our  heroism.  Love  is 
indeed  painful, — when  it  is  hopeless.  And 
now,  as  I  work  with  you,  side  by  side,  I  try 
very  often  to  console  myself  and  force  my 
imagination  to  believe  I  am  working  with  her. 
You  will  pardon  me,  Madame,  won't  you,  that 
I  dare  draw  these  imaginary  pictures  ?  It 
cools  my  burning  brain  and  relieves  my  ach- 
ing heart.  I  know  you  are  so  noble  and  will 

3°4 


Siberia. 

permit  me  to  lose  myself  in  these  idle  dreams. 
Forgive  me,  Madame,  I  am  afraid  I  am  deliri- 
ous and  have  spoken  too  much ;  but,  Madame, 
you  resemble  her  wonderfully." 

"  Go  on,  Josef.  It  is  very  strange  that  I 
should  so  strongly  resemble  your  wife." 

"  Yes,  Madame.  When  I  first  met  you,  a 
thrill  went  through  mq,  and  I  felt  that  I  must 
run  over  to  you  and  cry,  '  Oh,  Minna,  Minna  ! 
Is  it  really  you  ? '  Excuse  me,  Madame,  for 
the  thought,  since  I  could  only  see  your  chin, 
your  shawl  covering  the  rest  of  your  face. 
For  a  moment,  I  -forgot  what  suffering  my 
wife  would  have  had  to  experience  to  be  here  ; 
still,  I  was  glad  she  was  with  me." 

"  Tell  me,  Josef,"  I  asked,  "  which  would 
you  choose; — to  have  her  here  with  you,  suffer- 
ing your  fate,  or  to  have  her  wherever  she  may 
be,  happy  and  contented  ?" 

"  Why,  of  course,  Madame,  there  is  no  ques- 
tion about  that.  If  my  desire  for  her  were  to 
increase  tenfold,  I  could  never  wish  her  here 
to  share  this  torture.  But  I  will  admit  there 
have  been  desperate  moments  for  me  in  the 
past  year,  when  I  forgot  every  consideration  in 

20  305 


Minna. 

my  longing  and  prayed  most  earnestly  that  she 
might  be  at  my  side." 

"Good-night,  Josef,"  I  called.  "You  had 
better  go  to  sleep.  Does  your  head  feel 
better?" 

"  I  have  a  very  severe  headache,"  he  replied, 
"  and  I  seem  to  be  burning  up  ;  I  fear  I  have 
a  fever." 

"  Perhaps  it  will  be  better  to  have  a  doctor, 
Josef.  Is  there  any  way  to  summon  one  ? " 

11  No,  Madame.  That  is  out  of  the  question. 
I  must  wait  until  morning  for  any  relief.  It 
cannot  amount  to  much.  Good-night." 

I  could  not  sleep.  Josefs  talk  had  cut  my 
heart  like  a  knife.  It  made  me  feel  home- 
sick and  gave  me  so  much  to  think  of.  "  So, 
poor  Josef,  you  really  loved  your  wife," 
I  thought,  "  and  have  not  forgotten  her ! 
What  an  unselfish,  manly  love  !  My  poor 
Oscar  was  right  when  he  said  that  Josef  was  a 
man.  Every  act  shows  his  admirable  worth. 
But,  his  wife,  does  she  know  of  it  ?  In  all 
probability  she  is  engaged  to  some  one  else." 

Poor,  suffering  Josef !     I  was  sorry  I  could 

not  help  him.     The  only  consolation  I  could 

306 


Siberia. 

give  was  to  tell  him  that  I  also  loved  dearly 
and  was  suffering.  Tired  as  I  was  from  my 
day's  work,  I  could  not  sleep  and  tossed  all 
night.  I  could  hear  Josef  moaning  in  his 
feverish,  restless  sleep,  "  Minna,  my  Minna,  I 
love  you."  In  the  morning  I  heard  him  try 
to  raise  himself  ;  but  each  time  he  fell  back 
from  weakness,  the  chains  reporting  all  his 
movements. 

"Josef,  how  do  you  feel?"  I  called.  "Is 
your  head  any  better  ?  " 

"  No,  Madame,  it  is  no  better." 

"  I  want  you  to  remain  in  bed  all  day  to- 
day," I  said.  "  I  will  speak  to  the  warden. 
I  am  sure  he  will  be  willing  to  make  five 
rubles.  You  just  rest.  You  have  been  deliri- 
ous all  night." 

"  No,  Madame,  I  cannot.  I  must  go  with 
you  to  the  mines.  The  air  will  do  me  good — 
the  cart  is  so  heavy — oh,  those  chains  !  " 

"  No,  Josef.  I  cannot  allow  you  to  go  to  the 
mines.  You  must  stay  in  to-day  and  rest.  Just 
fancy  that  Minna  is  here  with  you  in  the 
mines,  that  she  is  giving  you  a  day's  rest,  and 

that  she  is  taking  your  share  of  the  work.    My 

307 


Minna. 

name  is  Minna,  too,  so  I  give  you  permission  to 
think  of  whatever  you  please.  Stay  in,  Josef, 
rest  and  dream.  Dream  on,  Josef,  if  it  will 
make  you  any  the  happier.  I  do  not  mind. 
You  have  been  kind  to  me,  you  have  dragged 
my  chain  and  rilled  my  cart ;  so  please  allow 
me  to  be  of  some  service  to  you  in  return.  I 
will  speak  to  the  warden  and  see  that  he  per- 
mits you  to  remain  in  all  day." 

In  a  few  minutes  the  jailer  arrived,  unlocked 
the  chains  from  the  wall  and  led  me  to  my 
cart.  While  he  was  chaining  me  to  it,  I  saw 
them  leading  Josef  out.  He  looked  so  very 
pale  and  weary  that  I  asked  the  soldier  to  call 
the  warden.  When  he  came,  I  said  to  him. 
"  Warden,  Josef  is  very  sick  this  morning  and 
has  been  delirious  all  night.  He  has  been  very 
kind  to  me,  so  I  wish  to  ask  a  favor  of  you  for 
his  comfort.  Hire  a  man  to  take  his  place 
and  do  his  work  for  to-day,  and  I  will  pay  five 
rubles.  I  beg  you  to  please  grant  my  request, 
and  allow  Josef  to  rest  to-day  in  his  cell ;  he 
will  probably  be  better  to-morrow.  If  it  is 
possible  to  procure  a  doctor,  do  so  immedi- 
ately ;  if  you  can  manage  a  little  broth,  get  it. 

308 


Siberia. 

Spare  no  money,  but  draw  on  me  for  all  you 
need  ;  only  please  get  some  help  and  relief  for 
him  without  delay.  I  can  do  his  share  of  the 
work,  easily.  I  can  work  for  two  ;  I  am  strong. 
You  don't  know  how  strong  I  am." 

"Good!"  replied  the  warden  ;  and  giving 
a  wink  to  the  guard,  Josef  was  led  back  to  his 
cell.  Then  I  started  to  the  mines  ;  and  when 
I  arrived  I  took  my  pick  and  struck  at  the 
rocks,  and  tried  to  loosen  the  ore.  I  struck 
again  and  again  without  any  result  ;  it  would 
not  give  in  to  me  as  readily  as  it  did  to  Josef. 
"  Come  !  Come  ! "  I  cried,  "  Josef  is  not 
here  to-day,  and  you  really  must  give  in 
to  me. — He  is  sick  in  bed. — He  is  very  ill, 
and  I  must  do  his  share."  One  more  stroke, 
and  then  another  —  "  Oh — please — please — 
come,"  I  cried.  "  Don't  you  know  I  must 
do  double  work  to-day  ? — I  cannot  stay  here 
so  long.  For  every  stroke  I  must  have  a 
stone,  that  I  may  fill  my  cart. — I  must  be  faith- 
ful and  true — Josef  says  that  every  stone  we 
take  away  is  a  block  removed  from  the  barri- 
caded road  where  our  sisters  and  brothers  are 

trying  to   break  through.     So  please  come  ! 

3°9 


Minna. 

Oh,  please  come  ! — I  must  fill  the  load  and 
drag  my  chain. — Josef  says  that  nothing  is  lost 
to  nature  ;  every  action,  every  thought  is  re- 
corded.— Please  come  !  " 

Finally  I  succeeded  in  filling  three  carts. 
When  the  fourth  was  full  I  looked  over  toward 
the  living  grave-yard,  where  the  skeletons 
were  dancing  and  laughing  at  me.  "Why  are 
you  so  happy?"  I  shouted.  "Is  it  because 
you  think  Josef  has  deserted  me  ?  Or  because 
my  Oscar  has  not  written  to  me  for  a  year  ? — 
He  will  write. — He  will  write  if  he  is  not 
dead.— And  Josef  will  come  if  he  gets  well, 
and  I  will  dig  and  dig  and  fill  my  carts. — 
Josef  said  I  must  be  faithful,  for  nothing  is  lost 
to  nature  !  " 

So  I  fulfilled  my  double  day's  work.  When 
I  was  brought  back  to  my  cell,  Josef  greeted 
me  and  thanked  me  for  giving  him  that  day's 
rest,  which  had  done  him  so  much  good.  In 
a  few  minutes  he  was  again  talking  of  his  love 
and  his  wife.  He  had  so  much  to  tell  me 
about  himself,  that  I  did  not  interrupt,  but 
allowed  him  to  pour  out  his  oppressed  heart. 

I  listened  to  him  for  hours  ;  until  at  last  I  was 

310 


Siberia. 

obliged  to  tell  him  to  go  to  sleep,  for  I  was 
tired,  and,  no  doubt,  he  was,  too.  The  next 
morning  he  accompanied  me  to  the  mines, 
though  he  could  scarcely  stand  on  his  feet. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE    PARDON. 

FOR  another  month  Josef  and  I  worked 
side  by  side,  with  no  word  from  my  only 
hope  in  the  living  world.  I  had  received  only 
one  message  from  Oscar  during  the  entire 
time,  and  that  was  shortly  after  my  arrival  in 
Siberia. 

"  Josef,"  I  said  one  day,  "  do  you  think  that 
Count  Karapot  is  still  alive  ?  Do  you  think  it 
possible  that  he  would  desert  me  like  this  ?" 

"Karl  is  on  the  road  now,"  he  replied, 
11  endeavoring  to  find  out  everything.  I  fear 
that  some  one  is  intercepting  your  mail." 

He  had  hardly  answered  my  question  when 
a  soldier  came  to  take  me  before  the  warden, 
to  receive  the  news  that  an  officer  had  arrived 
with  my  pardon.  He  told  me  that  the  very 
same  day  that  Oscar  had  secured  it  and  had 
started  out  to  bring  it  to  me,  he  had  been  killed 

in  a  duel.     When  I  heard  this  I  was  soon  hav- 

312 


The  Pardon. 

ing  a  conversation  with  Oscar.  I  laughed,  I 
sang  and  danced  ;  I  tried  to  get  him  to  go  to 
the  mines  with  me,  and  help  me  fill  my  cart. 
41  Come,  darling,  come  !  You  are  such  a  noble 
soul !  Come  and  work  for  the  good  cause  !  "  I 
cried. 

I  did  not  know  what  happened  after  that. 
When  I  came  to  myself  I  was  lying  in  a  bed 
in  a  comfortable  room,  with  Josef  stroking  my 
face,  and  Oscar  sitting  by  the  other  side  of  the 
bed,  covering  my  hands  with  kisses  and  cry- 
ing, "  Minna,  my  darling,  my  darling!  " 

"Oh,  Josef!"!  cried.  "Am  I  dreaming? 
Where  are  our  dark  cells  ?  Why  are  you  in 
civilian  clothes  ?  Oh,  it  is  a  dream  ! "  I  wanted 
to  dream  longer;  and  closed  my  eyes,  but 
Oscar  embraced  me  and  kissed  me  again  and 
again.  "Open  your  eyes,  Minna,"  he  said 
tenderly,  "it  is  not  a  dream.  I  am  alive  and 
well.  It  was  a  false  report  that  I  was  killed, 
but  I  was  very  ill.  Let  us  not  think  of  the  past, 
dear,  for  we  must  rest  and  then  go  on.  You 
are  free,  and  God  has  given  you  to  me.  But 
let  us  not  say  much  now  ;  I  will  wait  till  you 
are  stronger." 


Minna. 

I  fell  back  on  the  pillow,  overcome,  and  tried 
to  recall  my  thoughts.     Fortunately  I  was  able 
to  cry,  or  I  should  have  gone  mad  ;  for  I  re- 
alized, as  I   looked  up  at  Oscar,  that    I  was 
to  be  his  wife  now.     "Where  is  my  child?" 
I  asked.     "  Do  you  know  where  he  is  ?  " 

"Yes,  dear.  He  is  in  Chicago  with  your 
friends.  So  do  not  worry.  You  must  try  to 
get  well,  for  he  wants  his  mother." 

"  How  long  have  I  been  ill,  Josef  ?  " 

II  Five  months,"  he  replied. 

"But  tell  me,  Josef,"  I  asked,  "  how  do  you 
happen  to  be  free  ?" 

"  My  dear  Madame,"  he  replied,  "  my  time 
expired  four  months  before  your  pardon 
arrived,  but  I  pleaded  with  the  warden  to  al- 
low me  to  continue  the  work  by  your  side  in 
the  mines.  I  begged  him  not  to  tell  you  I  was 
free,  for  I  could  not  think  of  leaving  you  alone. 
I  suspected  that  something  was  wrong  when 
the  Count  did  not  write  for  so  long  a  time  ; 
but  that  is  all  passed,  dear  Madame." 

Josef  excused  himself  and  left  the  room. 
When  he  had  gone  Oscar  turned  to  me  and 

said,  "  My  dear,   do  you  think  you  are  strong 

314 


The  Pardon. 

enough  to  listen  to  something  of  great  impor- 
tance ? " 

"  Yes,"  I  sobbed,  for  I  was  very  weak. 
11  What  is  it  ?  Tell  me  all." 

11  But  you  must  not  cry,  my  dear,  since  it  is 
something  that  may  please  you  very  much. 
Do  you  remember  the  time  when  you  told  me 
that  you  liked  me  better  than  any  man  you  had 
ever  known,  but  when  you  thought  of  marry- 
ing me,  you  had  a  feeling  of  repulsion  which 
you  could  not  repress  ? " 

"  Yes,  Oscar.  I  remember  it  clearly.  Go 
on  please." 

"  Very  well,"  he  continued,  "  I  now  confess 
that  I,  too,  had  the  same  feeling,  whenever  I 
thought  of  marriage,  and  always  had  an  uncon- 
trollable horror  of  the  ceremony.  Still,  no 
woman  has  ever  been  so  dear  to  me  as  you." 

"  Oh,  Oscar  !     How  strange  !  " 

"  Now— be  prepared— dear— ,"  he  continued. 
"Be  strong." 

"  What  is  it,  Oscar  ?  What  has  happened  ? 
Why  are  you  so  excited  ?  " 

He  leaned  over  and  took  me  in  his  arms. 

"  Minna,   dear,"  he   exclaimed,     "  embrace 
315 


Minna. 

me,  for  I  AM  YOUR  BROTHER  !  Yes,  your 
brother  by  the  same  father  and  I  did  not 
know  it !  Our  father  was  a  great  man,  dear, 
and  your  mother  is  noble  ;  but  mine — alas  ! — 
well,  she  is  my  mother." 

"  Oscar  !  Oscar  !  How  terrible  !  How  terri- 
ble !  How  strange  it  is  that  both  of  us  should 
have  felt  repulsion  at  the  thought  of  marriage, 
and  yet  love  each  other  so  well !  " 

"  Yes,  it  is  strange  ;  but  now  your  heart  is 
free,  and  at  the  same  time  you  belong  to  me. 
You  love  Josef,  marry  him  ;  for  I  love  you  as  a 
brother  should.  What  a  blessing  that  you 
have  been  so  noble  in  your  conduct !  That 
you  have  lived  up  to  your  religion  ;  for  other- 
wise we  would  have  been  punished  by  God. 
While  our  father's  loss  is  a  great  one,  he  has 
died,  my  dear,  to  save  us  from  this  horrible  sin 
of  a  sister  marrying  a  brother.  It  was  God's 
will  that  I  found  it  out  the  day  I  was  bringing 
the  pardon  from  the  present  Czar— our  brother 
— but  he  shall  never  know  it." 

"  Tell  me,  Oscar,  tell  me  how  you  discovered 
it." 

"The  duel,  which  the  warden  referred  to,  was 
316 


The  Pardon. 

forced  upon  me.  It  seems  that  my  own  mother 
was  the  cause  of  it  and  planned  it  so  that  I 
might  be  injured  in  order  to  prevent  me  from 
coming  to  see  you.  She  did  not  think  it  would 
end  like  this— but  she  had  been  punished. 

"  I  was  sitting  in  a  cafe  one  evening,  bidding 
my  friends  good-bye,  for  I  was  about  to  come 
to  you.  Presently  an  officer  came  in  and 
hurled  the  reproach  at  me  that  I  should  be 
shameless  enough  to  go  to  Siberia  to  bring 
back  the  woman  who  had  killed  my  father. 
That  was  the  first  time  I  had  ever  heard  the 
Czar  referred  to  as  my  father,  and  I  could  not 
understand  it.  I  called  for  an  explanation  at 
once,  and  several  friends  stepped  in  to  prevent 
me  from  saying  more  ;  but  the  consequence 
was,  that  he  challenged  me,  and  a  duel  was 
arranged.  I  wrote  you,  but  my  letters  never 
reached  you ;  for  I  am  sure  that  my  mother 
took  good  care  they  were  never  sent.  Instead, 
she  sent  word  that  I  was  dead.  So,  my  dear 
sister,  get  strong  now  and  be  happy.  You 
may  marry  Josef,  for  you  love  him,  I  know  ; 
yet  I  know,  too,  you  would  have  married  me, 

though  you  loved  him." 

317 


Minna. 

11  Oh,  Oscar,  Oscar  !  How  glad  I  am  to 
know  you  are  my  brother  !  Believe  me,  I 
shall  forget  the  past  in  the  happiness  of  having 
such  a  brother  as  you.  Come,  let  me  have 
your  dear  face  and  hands,  that  I  may  kiss 
them.  Oh  !  You  are  my  brother  !  Will  you 
forgive  me,  that  I  should  have  been  the  cause 
of  the  death  of  your  father  ?  I  cannot  realize 
it!  My  brother,  my  brother!  Oh,  I  cannot 
tell  you  how  happy  I  am  to  know  that  I  have 
a  relative  in  the  world !  " 

"I  do  forgive  you,  Minna  dear,  for  I  am 
your  brother,  and  you  are  my  sister  ;  and  I 
am  going  to  see  that  she  does  all  I  tell  her. 
Now  you  take  Josef  and  go  to  America  at  once, 
for  I  have  a  little  nephew  who  would  like  very 
much  to  see  you.  I  shall  continue  the  search 
for  your  mother ;  and  I  promise  you,  Minna, 
that  I  will  bring  her  to  you.  So  get  strong." 

"  Believe  me,  my  dear  brother ;  if  I  could 
start  at  once,  I  would  recover  my  strength  more 
quickly,  knowing  that  I  was  on  my  way  to 
America." 

"  You  shall  go  at  once,  dear,  and  I  shall  ac- 
company you  to  the  frontier.  I  have  written 


The  Pardon. 

to  Dr.  Leiter,  and  he  will  be  prepared  to  re- 
ceive you.  Now  you  rest  while  I  go  to  look 
for  Josef  and  tell  him  our  plans.  I  shall  be 
back  in  a  few  moments." 

He  closed  the  door  and  left  me  to  myself. 
"  What  a  strange  world,"  I  thought.  I  come 
to  Russia  to  find  my  mother  and  end  by  dis- 
covering a  brother.  I  enter  into  a  plot  to 
serve  the  people  and  succeed  in  killing  my 
father.  I  suffer  the  penalty  of  my  crime  and 
find  myself  chained  in  Siberia  to  Josef,  the 
Yeshiva  Bocher  whom  I  was  forced  to  marry 
so  long  ago.  I  hated  him  and  ran  away  from 
him  ;  but  I  had  to  come  to  Siberia  to  learn 
what  a  noble  man  he  is  after  all.  So  good, 
so  self-sacrificing !  And  now,  everything  has 
cleared  away,  and  I  am  free  to  make  repara- 
tion for  all  he  has  suffered  ;  to  be  to  him  what 
a  wife  should.  He  loves  me  and  I  have  learned 
to  love  him ;  I  shall  try  to  make  him  happy. 
Truly,  Fate  has  treated  me  better  than  I 
deserve." 

I  lay  in  my  bed  thinking  of  a  thousand 
things  and  listening  for  Oscar  to  return  with 

Josef.     I  remembered  how  startled  I  was  when 

319 


Minna. 

I  recognized  him  that  first  day  in  Siberia, 
when  they  brought  him  out  and  chained  us 
together  to  the  cart.  I  wondered  how  it  was 
that  he  had  not  recognized  me,  until  I  sud- 
denly remembered  that  my  face  was  covered, 
according  to  custom,  during  the  wedding 
ceremony,  and,  as  I  left  in  the  night,  he  had 
never  seen  me  sufficiently  to  recognize  me.  I 
thought  of  his  goodness  to  me  all  those  months 
in  the  mines,  and  I  longed  to  take  him  to  my 
Dady — our  Dady — and  be  happy  once  more  in 
my  own  little  home. 

An  hour  flew  by,  and  Oscar  came  in  to  an- 
nounce that  Josef  was  nowhere  to  be  found. 
My  heart  sank.  Was  it  possible  anything 
could  have  happened  to  him  ?  No,  that  could 
hardly  be. 

"  Have  you  looked  everywhere,  Oscar  ?" 
"  Yes,"  he  replied,  "  I  have  looked  every- 
where ;  and  just    as  I  was  returning   here  a 
gendarme  handed  me  this  note. — 

"  '  COUNT  KARAPOT. 

'  DEAR  SIR  : — 

'  I  hope  I  have  done  my  duty.  I  assure  you,  my  dear  sir,  that 
I  have  tried  to  protect  Madame  and  make  her  burdens  as 
light  as  possible.  I  thank  our  God  that  I  am  permitted  to 

320 


The  Pardon. 

see  her  safe  in  your  hands,  and  I  appreciate  the  confidence 
you  have  shown  in  trusting  Madame  to  my  care.  I  am  satis- 
fied my  services  are  no  longer  required  ;  so  I  leave,  and  beg  you 
to  thank  Madame  for  her  kindness  to  me.  JOSEF.'  " 


"  My  God  !  My  God  !  Thou  hast  forsaken 
me!"  I  cried.  "Oh,  could  I  at  least  have 
made  one  soul  happy  !  Surely,  my  star  shines 
behind  clouds  and  shows  itself  only  enough 
for  one  to  pass  by  and  another  appear.  Oscar, 
I  am  afraid  to  rejoice  and  call  you  my  brother, 
lest  something  happen  to  shadow  us,  too." 

"  Never  mind,  dear  ;  it  will  all  come  out 
right.  The  only  thing  to  do  now  is  for  you  to 
proceed  to  America  alone,  instead  of  with 
Josef,  as  we  originally  planned.  You  must 
go  as  soon  as  you  feel  strong  enough  ;  and  I 
will  follow  as  soon  as  possible.  I  promise,  dear, 
to  bring  your  mother  and  Josef,  too." 

The  last  week  of  my  sojourn  in  the  hospital 
in  Siberia  was  spent  in  preparations  for  the 
journey  to  America.  The  thought  of  going 
back  to  my  home  and  my  friends  served  as  a 
tonic  ;  and  except  for  the  loss  of  Josef  and  the 
memory  of  the  unfortunate  occurrence  in  St. 
Petersburg,  I  could  have  been  happy  indeed. 

21  321 


Minna. 

Oscar  stayed  by  me  through  all,  and  together 
we  journeyed  across  the  frontier  toward  home, 
that  wonderful  place  where  all  is  peace  and 
quiet— a  world  of  strife  shut  out,  a  world  of 
love  shut  in. 


32* 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE    RETURN    TO  AMERICA. 

OH,  what  a  home  coming !  To  be  away  from 
the  ties  of  home  for  so  long  a  time  ;  to  pass 
through  so  much  of  excitement  and  anxiety  ; 
to  leave  behind  memories  of  sadness  and  re- 
gret— these  make  the  return  to  the  joys  of 
home  an  episode,  a  brilliant  jewel  in  Life's 
precious  casket. 

Oscar  left  me  at  Hamburg  and  returned  to 
St.  Petersburg,  to  continue  the  search  for  my 
mother.  An  uneventful  journey  across  the 
water  and  I  landed  in  New  York,  where  Harry 
met  me  at  the  pier.  Almost  the  first  thing  he 
greeted  me  with,  after  inquiries  for  everybody, 
including  my  Dady  who,  of  course,  came  first, 
was,  "  I  say,  Minna,  we've  got  a  new  woman 
at  the  house.  I  know  you  will  like  her." 

"  A  new  woman  ?  "  I  asked  in  surprise, 
"  Why,  what  do  you  mean  ?  Explain  yourself." 

"  Why,  a  new  woman   of  course,  and   she 
323 


Minna. 

looks  like  her  mother.  You  must  hurry  home 
and  see  how  independent  she  is.  Why,  she 
does  all  her  own  walking." 

Then  I  realized  what  he  was  trying  to  tell 
me  ;  that  he  was  the  proud  father  of  a  beautiful 
girl.  And  beautiful  indeed  I  found  her  when 
we  arrived  in  Chicago — a  dear  little  tot,  a  year 
old,  and  just  learning  to  walk.  When  we  had 
been  to  the  nursery,  Ella  threw  her  arms  about 
me  for  the  hundredth  time  and  showed  me  how 
true  and  loving  a  sister  I  had  in  her. 

"Oh,  Minna,"  she  said,  "  I  owe  it  all  to  you  ; 
for  if  it  had  not  been  for  you,  I  would  not  be 
so  happy  to-day— Harry's  wife  and  the  mother 
of  that  beautiful  girl."  And  she  pressed  me 
again  close  to  her. 

4<  Oh,  you  selfish  little  woman  ! "  I  said. 
"  Don't  love  me  all  yourself ;  leave  some  for 
my  boy.  Remember,  I  have  not  seen  him 
yet.  Where  is  he  ?  " 

"  I  sent  him  away  to  play  this  evening,  for  I 
wanted  him  to  be  surprised.  I  did  not  tell  him 
you  were  coming.  I  hear  him  now.  Come 
here,  Dady,"  she  called,  "  here's  some  one  to 

see  you." 

.     324 


The  Return  to  America. 

The  little  fellow  came  into  the  room  and 
stood  for  a  moment  speechless  with  surprise. 
A  second  more,  and  he  bounded  across 
the  room  screaming  "  Mamma  !  Mamma  ! 
Mamma  ! " 

I  clasped  him  in  my  arms  and  kissed  him 
and  cried  over  him,  until  I  could  cry  no  more. 
Dady  looked  up  into  my  face  with  a  pleading 
expression. 

"  Oh,  mamma,"  he  said,  "  I  am  so  glad  you 
are  back  home  !  You  will  never  go  away  again, 
will  you,  mamma  ? " 

"No,  darling,"  I  replied,  "Never,  never 
again;"  and  the  thought  of  all  that  had 
happened  since  I  left  him,  forced  an  emphasis 
on  the  "never  "  that  was  positive  and  sincere. 

It  was  a  wee  small  hour  we  retired  that 
night,  there  were  so  many  questions  to  be 
asked  and  answered.  Finally,  when  I  had  told 
all  my  experiences  since  leaving  home,  or  as 
many  as  could  be  told  in  so  short  a  time,  we 
broke  up  the  little  reunion  and  went  to  bed. 
The  last  I  heard,  as  I  disappeared  in  my  room, 
was  Harry's  voice  calling  : 

II  Now  remember,  Minna,  no  monkey  busi- 

325 


Minna. 

ness  in  this  country.  I've  had  a  letter  from 
Count  Karapot,  and  he  warns  me  against  you 
as  a  dangerous  person." 

"  Never  fear,"  I  replied,  "  I've  had  enough  of 
such  things  ;  I  am  cured.  Good-night." 

Back  again  in  Chicago,  happy  again  in  the 
quiet  of  my  own  home,  or  as  happy  as  I  could 
be  in  the  memory  of  my  unfortunate  experi- 
ence in  St.  Petersburg  and  the  conscious  loss 
of  Josef,  I  passed  day  after  day  in  visiting  the 
poor  and  spending  my  time  in  trying  by  this 
means  to  forget  the  past.  Week  after  week, 
month  after  month  went  by,  and  no  encourage- 
ment from  Oscar  concerning  my  mother  or 
Josef.  He  wrote  often  and  kept  me  supplied 
with  money,  so  that  the  practice  of  my  profes- 
sion was  no  longer  necessary ;  but  no  news  of 
the  kind  I  was  longing  for. 

Finally,  discouraged  and  dejected  after  four 
years  of  anxious  waiting,  I  was  glad  to  accept 
Harry's  suggestion  to  attend  a  banquet,  which, 
he  said,  was  to  be  given  in  honor  of  a  young 
law  student,  a  friend  of  his,  who  had  graduated 
with  high  honors. 

"Now  you  come  along,"  he  said.     "We're 
326 


The  Return  to  America. 

all  going  and  it  will  do  you  good.  You've 
been  growing  thinner  and  thinner  ;  until  I've 
expected  to  see  you  blow  up  the  chimney. 
Be  ready  about  eight  and  we'll  all  go  together." 

Promptly  at  the  time  appointed  I  was  ready 
to  start,  unconscious  of  the  shock  that  awaited 
me.  The  banquet  hall  was  filled  with  profes- 
sors of  the  law  school  and  friends  of  the  young 
man,  the  guest  of  the  evening.  We  sat  in  the 
back  of  the  room,  where,  from  my  position,  it 
was  difficult  to  see  the  speakers  at  the  guest 
table,  until  they  arose. 

When  the  banquet  was  over,  the  dean  of  the 
law  school  arose  and,  after  a  few  preliminary 
remarks,  spoke  of  the  young  lawyer  who  had 
so  distinguished  himself  in  the  school.  He 
congratulated  both  him  and  the  school  and  in- 
troduced the  head  of  the  firm,  with  whom  the 
young  man  was  practising  law.  This  gentle- 
man was  the  picture  of  kindness,  truth  and 
professional  dignity.  Addressing  the  assem- 
blage he  said : 

"  Gentlemen — I  have  the  honor  to  rise  before  you  to  pay  trib- 
ute to  one  who  has  proved  himself  not  only  an  honorable  and 
conscientious  young  man,  but  a  distinguished  addition  to  the 

327 


Minna. 

long  list  of  eminent  members  of  the  bar.  He  has  been  with  us 
four  years,  as  a  clerk  in  our  employ  while  prosecuting  his 
studies  in  the  profession  of  the  law,  and  during  that  time  he 
has  not  alone  mastered  his  subject,  but  English  and  Jurispru- 
dence as  well.  We  ask  your  congratulations  ;  for  we  have 
elected  him  a  partner  in  our  firm  and  take  this  opportunity  to 
mark  the  occasion  by  presenting  him  with  this  gold  watch." 

Turning  to  the  young  man,  whom  I  could 
not  see,  he  said  : 

"  I  ask  you,  sir,  to  accept  this  token  of  our  esteem  and  to  note 
the  hour  indicated  on  its  face  ;  for,  from  this  moment,  you  are 
the  fifth  partner  and  shall  continue  to  be  such  until  the  day 
you  may  feel  disposed  to  sever  the  connection.  We  congratu- 
late you,  sir,  upon  your  accomplishments  in  so  short  a  time, 
and  we  congratulate  ourselves  upon  the  acquisition  of  so  valued 
a  member  of  our  firm." 

He  sat  down  amid  a  wild  burst  of  applause 
and  calls  of  "  Speech  ! — Speech  !  "  In  the 
back  of  the  room  there  was  craning  to  see  the 
young  man  so  highly  honored,  and  I,  myself, 
was  so  infused  with  the  sympathetic  spirit  of 
the  occasion,  that  I  forgot  my  sorrows  and  rose 
in  my  chair,  to  peep  at  the  guest  of  honor. 
At  the  same  moment  he,  too,  rose,  in  response 
to  the  calls,  and  I  sank  back  into  my  chair, 
overcome  with  the  surprise  and  the  shock. 
There,  before  my  eyes,  was  Josef  ! — Josef,  my 

Yeshiva  Backer  ! — my  husband  ! 

328 


The  Return  to  America. 

I  grasped  Ella's  arm,  "  Look  !  Look  !  "  I 
said.  "  That  man  whom  they  are  honoring  so, 
is  my  Josef— my  husband  !  " 

The  cheers  subsided  and  Josef  began  his 
speech. 

"  Gentlemen,"  he  said,  "  I  am  a  young  attorney;  and  I  think 
you  are  a  little  hard  on  me  in  asking  a  speech  before  such  a 
learned  assembly.  I  should  have  to  lack  feeling  to  avoid  falter- 
ing to-night,  and  therefore  I  beg  you  to  be  considerate,  if  I  fail 
to  express  my  thanks  in  elaborate  form  for  the  honors  you 
have  heaped  upon  me  to-night.  I  can  only  say  that  I  promise 
to  be  in  the  future  what  I  have  been  in  all  that  our  senior  part- 
ner credits  me  with.  He  is  a  great  man,  but  he  isn't  big 
enough  to  hold  his  heart.  What  I  have  said  so  far  is  not  new 
to  you  ;  but  permit  me  to  tell  you  something  you  do  not  know. 
— You  do  not  know  what  a  country  you  are  living  in.  I  do  not 
praise  your  land  because  everybody  can  wear  diamonds,  but 
because  of  its  great  privileges  and  opportunities.  Would  that 
you  could  appreciate  this  land  as  I  do  !  Every  stone  is  a  bril- 
liant, every  inch  of  ground  is  gold  in  comparison  with  other 
countries,  especially  the  one  from  which  I  come — Russia  ! " 

His  voice  was  drowned  by  the  cheers,  and 
it  was  some  moments  before  he  could  resume. 

"Friends,"  he  continued,  "you  should  have  seen  me  ten  years 
ago,  or  rather  I  thank  Providence  that  you  did  not  see  me  ten 
years  ago  ;  for  you  would  have  loathed  me  as  if  I  were  a  leper. 
I  was  in  my  own  country, — my  fatherland, — Russia,  where  a 
poor  man  has  no  chance  to  learn  to  write  his  own  name.  Here 
I  stand,  man  to  man  with  you,  and  can  only  thank  the  liber- 
ality of  this  great  country,  which  helps  to  make  a  man  of 

329 


Minna. 

every  one  who  has  the  desire  and  determination  to  be  one.     Oh, 
America ,     Blessed  America !  " 

Josef  sat  down,  completely  overwhelmed 
with  the  shouts  and  cheers.  Suddenly  the 
great  doors  of  an  adjoining  ballroom  were 
swung  open,  revealing  a  brilliantly  illuminated 
hall  and  an  array  of  beautiful  women,  all 
awaiting  the  dance.  The  diners  raised  Josef 
in  his  chair,  and  amid  the  applause  of  all, 
carried  him  from  the  banquet  hall  to  the  ball- 
room. 

Harry,  who  had  planned  the  ball,  took  us 
up  to  a  box  where  we  could  watch  the  danc- 
ing. Old  ladies,  beautiful  middle-aged  women 
and  coquettish  young  girls  flocked  to  meet 
Josef  and  clasp  his  hand.  Presently  the  cur- 
tains of  the  box  were  drawn  and  Harry  appeared 
with  Josef. 

"Madame!"  he  stammered.  "You  at  my 
banquet  to-night  ?  Where  is  the  Count  ?  " 

"  He  is  in  Russia.  I  came  to  America  alone. 
But  don't  let  me  keep  you  here,  we  shall  see 
each  other  later.  Ella,  this  is  my  chain-charm 
of  Siberia.  Josef,  this  is  the  wife  of  your 

friend,  Dr.  Leiter." 

33° 


The  Return  to  America. 

Josef  bowed.  "  May  I  have  the  pleasure  of 
the  first  dance  with  the  single  lady  ?" 

"I  should  enjoy  it,"  I  replied,  "  but  accord- 
ing to  the  old  Hebrew  law,  since  I  am  en- 
gaged, I  am  as  good  as  married  ;  therefore  I 
prefer  to  sit  here  and  see  what  a  good  dancer 
you  are.  Don't  spend  your  time  with  us,  we 
will  not  be  offended.  Go  and  entertain  the 
ladies." 

Josef  turned  sorrowfully  away.  "  I  thought 
I  might  dance  with  you  to-night,"  he  said,  and 
left  with  Harry. 

"Oh,  Minna,"  said  Ella,  "you  are  cruel. 
How  can  you  be  so  unjust  ?  I  could  not  have 
done  that  to  Harry." 

After  a  few  dances,  Harry  announced  it  was 
time  to  go  home,  "  For  if  we  don't,"  he  said 
jocularly,  "the  'new- woman'  will  arouse  the 
neighbors." 

For  a  few  moments,  I  stood  and  looked  in 
amazement,  to  see  how  naturally  my  Yeshiva 
bocher  mingled  with  the  society  ladies  and 
played  the  cavalier.  We  decided  to  leave 
without  bidding  him  good-night,  for  we  did 

not  wish  to  disturb  him. 

33 i 


Minna. 


On  the  way  home,  Harry  promised  to  bring 
Jos'ef  to  see  us  the  next  evening,  and  I  finally 
retired,  happy  in  the  thought  that  part  of  my 
desire  was  to  be  fulfilled,  for  now  I  could  re- 
ward my  yeshiva  bocher  for  his  long  suffering. 


332 


CHAPTER  V. 

MY  YESHIVA  BOCHER. 

THE  next  day  was  one  long  to  be  remem- 
bered, for  it  brought  a  letter  from  Oscar,  say- 
ing that  he  was  leaving  for  America  at  once, 
and  would  bring  my  mother.  My  joy  knew 
no  bounds ;  for  here  was  the  time,  arrived  at 
last,  when  Josef  was  found,  after  four  years  of 
longing,  and  my  mother  was  coming  to  me, 
after  a  lifetime  of  hope.  Surely  my  cup  was 
full ;  and  no  one  could  grudge  the  tears  of  joy 
that  had  been  earned  by  so  much  hope,  tem- 
pered with  so  much  disappointment. 

When  the  first  shock  of  the  news  had  passed 
away  and  I  was  free  to  give  thought  to  other 
things,  I  could  not  help  smiling  when  I  re- 
called Oscar's  promise,  in  the  hospital  in  Si- 
beria, to  follow  me  soon  to  America  and  bring 
both  my  mother  and  Josef.  He  had  kept  the 

first  half  of  the  promise,  to  be  sure  ;  but  the 

333 


Minna. 

second  I  had  kept  for  him,  in  finding  Josef 
myself.  Surely  it  was  a  good  joke  on  Oscar, 
and  I  laid  elaborate  plans  to  hide  Josef  and 
then  tease  him  because  he  had  failed  to  find 
him.  I  could  see  him,  how  sober  he  would 
look  when  I  feigned  to  be  angry  and  disap- 
pointed ;  for  Oscar  was  always  hurt  when  he 
failed  to  fulfil  my  wish.  But  then,  I  would 
not  be  too  hard  on  him,  for  that  would  be  cruel. 

Little  by  little,  the  joy  of  the  day  made 
itself  felt  and  infected  the  others  of  our  little 
family,  until  everybody  became  light-hearted 
and  festive.  Harry  came  in  and  out,  with  a 
laugh  and  a  joke  and  various  comments  on 
the  "new  woman." 

"  You  see,  Minna,"  he  said  grandly,  "  her 
mother  is  an  inexperienced  woman ;  but  her 
father  is  a  wise  man.  Women  don't  know 
anything  about  handling  babies,  they  always 
spoil  them  ;  but  the  fathers  know  it  all."  And 
he  bounded  out  of  the  room  like  a  light- 
hearted  boy. 

Ella  looked  on,  her  face  wreathed  in  smiles. 

11  Minna,"  she  said,  "  I  believe  I  am  the  hap- 
piest woman  in  the  world." 

334 


My  Yeshiva  Bocher. 

"  I  believe  you,"  I  replied.  "  When  a  wo- 
man loves  a  man  as  you  do,  and  the  man  has 
the  good  sense  to  realize  and  appreciate  all  the 
sacrifices  his  wife  makes  for  him,  there  is  no 
reason  in  the  world  why  she  should  not  be 
happy.  I  too,  could  be  happy  to-day,  Ella, 
for  I  have  cause  to  be  ;  but  that  one  sad 
memory  of  St.  Petersburg  is  ever  present  and 
tempers  my  joy  with  sorrow.  I  suppose  it 
must  always  be  so,  for  such  a  deed  is  past 
forgetting." 

11  You  must  not  be  too  severe  on  yourself," 
Ella  said  soothingly  ;  "for  you  were  only  an 
inexperienced  girl,  easily  impressed  and  al- 
ways ready  to  sacrifice  yourself  for  the  benefit 
of  suffering  mankind." 

"  What  you  say,  Ella,  is  partly  true ;  but 
they  only  are  wise  whose  actions  are  governed 
by  the  head,  not  the  heart.  There  must  be 
some  of  that,  too  ;  but  it  should  be  controlled 
by  the  head." 

11  But  we  must  not  spoil  the  happiness  of  to- 
day, Minna,  with  the  regrets  of  yesterday. 
You  know  Josef  is  coming  to-night  and  we've 

much  to  do  to  prepare  for  the  return  of  the 

335 


Minna. 

prodigal.  If  I  were  in  your  place,  I'd  lecture 
him  soundly  for  running  away  in  Siberia  just 
when  you  needed  his  services  on  the  journey 
to  America." 

11  Why,  Ella  !  Last  night,  at  the  banquet, 
you  called  me  cruel  because  I  would  not  dance 
with  him ;  and  now  you  want  me  to  lecture 
him  for  a  self-sacrifice  !  You  remember  he 
went  away  from  Siberia  because  he  thought  I 
loved  Oscar  and  could  not  bear  to  stay  by  and 
see  it  all.  We  had  no  chance  to  tell  him  of 
our  discovery,  and  when  Oscar  looked  for  him 
he  was  gone." 

"  But  you  will  tell  him  when  he  comes  to- 
night, won't  you,  Minna  ? " 

"  I  certainly  shall.  I  have  waited  for  the 
opportunity  these  four  years  ;  and  now  that  it 
has  come  I  shall  not  give  him  another  chance 
to  slip  away.  You  have  not  told  Harry,  have 
you?" 

"  No,  he  knows  nothing  about  it.  He  boasts 
so  much  of  knowing  more  than  I  do,  I  thought 
I  would  get  even  with  him  by  letting  him  find 
out  something  I  already  knew.  Dear  Harry. 

He  always  appreciates  a  joke." 

33  6 


My  Yeshiva  Bocher. 

The  rest  of  the  day  was  given  over  to  joyful 
preparation  for  the  great  event,  and  we  laid 
elaborate  plans  for  Josef  and  his  welcome  to  a 
happy  home.  Evening  came,  but  no  Josef. 
The  hours  dragged  by,  and  no  Josef.  Bed- 
time came,  and  still  no  Josef.  What  could  the 
matter  be  ?  Ella  suggested  that  perhaps  the 
banquet  had  been  too  much  for  him  and  prob- 
ably he  was  ill.  Harry  ventured  the  opinion 
that  business  had  kept  him,  for  he  knew  he 
was  at  work  on  an  important  divorce  case.  My 
intuition  told  me  that  something  was  wrong  ; 
that  the  fate  which  had  followed  me  through 
all  my  days  was  once  more  placing  something 
desired  within  my  grasp,  only  to  withdraw  it 
again.  Filled  with  misgivings,  I  retired  dis- 
couraged. 

Morning  came,  and  no  Josef.  The  day 
dragged  by,  and  no  word  from  Josef.  Night 
came  again  and  dispelled  all  doubts  ;  for  I 
knew  that  Josef  had  again  gone  away,  though 
I  could  assign  no  reason.  I  called  Harry  and 
begged  him  to  see  if  he  could  find  any  trace 
of  him,  or  learn  why  he  had  not  come. 

"  Minna,"  he  said,  "  I've  always  been  your 
22  337 


Minna. 

friend,  and  I've  tried  to  be  of  service  to  you  ; 
but  I  want  to  tell  you  candidly  that  I  feel  I've 
put  my  foot  in  it  this  time,  though  I  cannot 
understand  how.  You  love  Oscar,  and  you 
are  engaged  to  marry  him ;  yet  you  are  sad 
because  Josef  does  not  come.  You  know  I 
have  helped  Josef  in  one  way  and  another  ever 
since  he  came  to  Chicago  and  began  to  study 
law.  I  did  not  know  who  he  was,  other  than 
that  he  came  from  Russia,  and  had  shown  him- 
self a  good  fellow,  with  noble  sentiments  and 
fine  feelings.  He  said  he  wanted  to  do  some- 
thing for  me  as  a  return  for  the  friendship  I 
had  shown  him,  and,  as  he  persisted,  I  finally 
told  him  he  could  exercise  his  legal  talents  in 
procuring  a  divorce  for  you.  I  gave  him  the 
facts  of  the  case  yesterday,  thinking  what  a 
fine  surprise  it  would  be  for  him  to  procure 
the  freedom  which  would  permit  you  to  marry 
Oscar  as  soon  as  possible  after  his  return  to 
America.  But  I  fear  I  have  made  a  mistake  ; 
for  I  received  this  letter  just  now,  which  shows 
that  my  intentions  were  not  so  good  after  all. 
Read  it,  Minna,  and  forgive  me  if  you  can.  It 

speaks  for  itself." 

338 


My  Yeshiva  Bocher. 

"  Oh,  Harry,"  I  cried.  "  What  have  you 
done  ?  What  a  mistake  to  have  kept  that 
secret  from  you  !  "  I  took  the  letter  and  read 
it  ;  my  eyes  almost  blinded  with  tears. 

MY  DEAR  DOCTOR  LETTER  :  I  hope  you  will  forgive  me  for  bur- 
dening you  with  such  a  lengthy  letter,  but  I  know  of  no  other 
means  to  explain  my  hasty  departure  without  bidding  you  a 
personal  good-bye.  I  know  you  will  forgive  my  seeming  dis- 
courtesy, for  your  heart  is  big,  and  you,  too,  have  once  loved 
hopelessly  and  can  appreciate  my  own  condition.  I  know,  too, 
that  you  will  forgive  my  apparent  lack  of  appreciation  for  all 
your  kindness  to  me,  when  you  know  the  facts  of  the  case.  I 
leave  for  New  York  to-day  because  I  cannot  undertake  to  secure 
the  divorce  as  ypu  asked  me  ;  and  the  explanation  of  my  con- 
duct is  the  cause  of  this  lengthy  letter,  for  it  necessitates  the 
revelation  of  a  part  of  my  life,  which  I  have  not  told  you  be- 
fore. 

When  I  was  a  ^eshiva  Bocher,  I  was  tricked  into  a  marriage, 
because  I  had  never  known  what  a  conscience  was.  I  had 
never  been  trained  to  that  point.  I  married  an  innocent  child 
only  thirteen  years  of  age,  who  was  forced  into  the  marriage  by 
parents  not  even  her  own.  They  had  only  adopted  her  ;  and 
so,  to  be  rid  of  her,  they  made  her  marry  me.  She  was  wiser 
than  I  and  possessed  of  more  character  ;  so  she  ran  away  the 
following  morning,  Three  years  later,  we  found  her  in  London, 
and  I  discovered  I  had  a  son,  and  that  the  poor  child  was  slav- 
ing to  support  herself  and  my  baby.  She  refused  to  see  me  ;  nor 
was  I  able  to  visit  my  boy.  What  she  suffered  in  London,  words 
cannot  describe.  She  came  to  America  shortly  after,  with  an 
old  lady  who  was  to  take  her  to  a  hospital  where  she  could 
study  to  become  a  nurse  ;  and  then  I  lost  track  of  her.  After 
she  left,  her  supposed  parents  implored  me  to  obtain  a  divorce, 
as  they  were  ready  to  find  another  wife  for  me.  I  refused,  how- 

339 


Minna. 

ever,  to  have  anything  to  do  with  them,  for  I  was  just  beginning 
to  realize  how  ignorant  I  was.  I  could  not  blame  the  girl  be- 
cause she  would  not  live  with  me,  for  what  right  had  I  to  a 
wife  and  child,  when  I  was  unable  to  support  myself  ?  I  had 
lived  all  my  life  on  charity.  My  wife  hated  me  and  ran  away. 
She  was  right ;  but  oh,  my  dear  friend,  I  loved  her.  Yes,  I 
loved  the  wife  whom  I  had  never  seen  but  once,  and  I  resolved, 
then  and  there,  to  become  a  man  and  be  useful  in  the  world.  I 
determined  to  educate  myself,  hoping  that  Fate  would  perhaps 
be  kind  to  me,  and  bring  her  and  my  child  back  to  me  some 
day  ;  and  if  so,  she  should  have  every  reason  to  love  me.  But 
how  to  begin,  was  a  difficult  problem  to  solve  ;  and  I  worried 
and  fretted  until  I  became  sick. 

While  in  the  hospital,  I  met  an  English  lady,  a  Jewess,  who 
was  called,  "  The  Angel  of  the  Ward."  She  spent  all  her  time 
in  the  hospitals  among  the  sick,  bringing  consolation  and  re- 
lief to  all,  for  she  never  grew  tired  of  listening  to  the  sorrows 
of  others.  My  oppressed  heart  could  bear  its  burden  no  longer, 
when  the  "Angel  of  the  Ward  "  came  to  me  one  day  and  said, 
"  Josef,  my  son,  tell  me  what  it  is  that  troubles  you  ?  Do  not 
conceal  anything  from  me.  I've  made  inquiries  regarding  you, 
Josef ,  and  your  past  life  interests  me."  She  requested  the 
nurse  to  bring  a  screen,  which  she  placed  about  the  bed,  and, 
seating  herself  beside  me,  and  taking  my  hand  in  hers,  she 
said,  "Tell  me  all.  Tell  me  all." 

I  did  so  ;  I  told  her  everything.  Oh,  my  dear  friend,  could 
I  paint  you  the  picture  of  that  noble  woman  when  I  had  finished 
my  story  !  She  was  overcome  ;  and  I  did  not  wonder  that  she 
was  called  the  "  Angel  of  the  Ward,"  for  she  truly  suffered  for 
every  one  and  shared  their  pain.  She  said  finally,  "  I'll  tell  you 
what  I  will  do.  You  go  back  to  Russia,  and  I  will  give  you  a 
letter  to  a  cousin  of  mine  in  Moscow,  who  is  a  wealthy  and  in- 
fluential Hebrew.  I  will  give  you  all  the  money  you  need  to 
enter  college,  and  all  I  will  ask  in  return  is,  that  you  study  as 
hard  as  you  can.  In  the  meantime  I  will  try  to  locate  your 
wife  and  child." 

340 


My  Yeshiva  Bocher. 

I  did  not  feel  like  a  beggar  who  was  receiving  charity,  but 
like  a  man  who  was  having  his  future  assured,  I  determined  to 
return  the  loan  with  deep  gratitude  ;  to  show  her  some  day, 
that  she  has  been  rewarded  by  making  a  man  of  a  poor  wretched 
Yeshiva  Bocher.  I  accepted  her  offer  and  soon  set  out  for  Mos- 
cow with  plenty  of  money.  While  there,  I  fell  in  with  some 
Nihilist  students,  and,  naturally,  joined  their  society.  Four 
years  later  I  was  one  of  the  unfortunates  who  were  sent  to 
Siberia. 

While  in  Moscow,  I  had  had  a  hard  time  to  live,  because  only 
the  wealthy  Hebrew  merchants,  who  belong  to  the  Perva  Gilda, 
are  allowed  to  reside  there  ;  and  as  I  was  only  a  poor  student, 
I  had  great  difficulty  in  being  admitted  to  the  college.  The 
people  with  whom  I  lived  wrote  to  a  friend  of  theirs,  a  Count 
Karapot  of  St.  Petersburg,  who  was  connected  with  the  royal 
house.  He  came  to  Moscow,  and  through  his  influence,  all  the 
papers  were  procured  which  were  necessary  for  me  to  have  to 
remain  in  Moscow,  and  to  be  admitted  to  the  college.  Now, 
my  dear  friend,  you  can  imagine  my  surprise  when,  chained  to 
my  cart  and  serving  my  term  in  Siberia,  the  post  brought  me  a 
letter  from  Count  Karapot.  It  began,  "  My  dear  friend,"  and 
in  it,  he  appealed  to  me  to  assist  in  caring  for  his  future  wife, 
who  was  on  her  way  to  Siberia  to  serve  a  twenty  years'  sentence 
as  a  Nihilist.  He  arranged  that  we  should  be  chained  together, 
so  that  I  could  guard  and  protect  her  until  he  came  with  her 
pardon  from  St.  Petersburg.  She  arrived  a  short  time  after, 
and  we  worked  together.  We  spent  the  days  and  nights  in 
our  cells,  so  close  that  we  could  hear  one  another  breathing.  I 
fell  in  love  with  her.  She  resembled  my  Minna.  As  my  term 
had  expired  four  months  before  Count  Karapot  arrived  with  her 
pardon,  I  left  the  day  of  his  arrival,  because  I  could  not  bear  to 
remain  and  witness  their  mutual  love.  I  had  been  forbidden  to 
return  to  Moscow,  so  I  came  to  America,  and  you  know  the 
rest. 

Oh,  my  dear  friend,  pity  me  !  For  years  I  have  almost  lived 
under  the  same  roof  with  my  wife  and  child,  and  did  not  know 

341 


Minna. 

it.  God  only  knows  how  long  I  might  have  been  in  ignorance 
of  this  ha'd  you  not  asked  me  yesterday  to  act  as  Minna's  attor- 
ney in  her  suit  for  divorce.  When  you  explained  the  kind  of 
man  Minna's  husband  was,  and  all  she  had  gone  through,  I 
did  not  know  for  the  moment,  my  dear  friend,  whether  I  should 
thank  you  for  the  news  you  brought  me,  or  cry  "  Stop,  stop, 
tell  me  no  more  !  "  It  was  then  I  found  out  that  your  Minna, 
and  the  Count's  future  wife,  is  my  Minna,  the  wife  of  my  youth. 
She  loves  the  Count,  I  know  ;  so  I  am  going  away.  But  be- 
lieve me,  dear  friend,  my  daily  prayer  shall  be  offered  solely 
for  her  happiness.  The  Count  is  a  noble  man  ;  he  will  make 
her  a  worthy  husband,  and  she  will  be  a  loyal  wife.  I  thank 
God  I  have  been  true  to  my  wife,  though  I  have  often  re- 
proached myself  for  having  neglected  her  in  my  thoughts, 
through  love  for  the  present  Minna. 

My  dear  friend,  these  facts  will  serve  to  show  you  how  hope- 
less is  my  love  for  the  Count's  future  wife  ;  and  knowing  them, 
you  will  readily  understand  that  I  cannot  stay  to  assist  her  in 
procuring  a  divorce.  Nor  is  it  necessary  for  her  to  do  so  on  the 
grounds  you  have  laid  before  me.  They  are  true  ;  but  as  I  am 
going  away,  never  to  return,  she  can  put  in  a  claim  for  deser- 
tion. 

Good-bye,  my  noble  friend.  Kiss  my  boy  for  his  father,  re- 
member me  to  your  wife  and  do  not  forget  the  lonely, 

JOSEF. 

I  dropped  the  letter  and  sobbed  aloud. 

"There,  there,"  said  Harry,  "don't  cry, 
Minna,  we'll  find  him  and  bring  him  back. 
He's  only  gone  to  New  York." 

"  It  is  our  own  fault,"  said  Ella,  "  for  we 
should  not  have  kept  it  from  Harry."  She 

proceeded  to  tell  him  how  Oscar  had  discovered 

342 


My  Yeshiva  Bocher. 

his  close  relationship  to  me,  and  what  a  nar- 
row escape  we  had  from  marrying  a  brother 
to  a  sister.  Harry  listened  to  it  all,  speechless 
with  astonishment  ;  but,  noble  soul  that  he 
was,  he  soon  recovered  himself  and  began 
laying  plans  for  communicating  with  Josef  and 
bringing  him  back  to  us.  He  even  declared 
he  would  go  to  New  York  himself  ;  but  the 
words  had  no  sooner  been  spoken  than  the 
door  opened  and  there  was  Oscar,  my  mother 
and — Josef.  I  stood  for  a  moment  amazed. 
I  knew  it  was  my  mother.  A  second  more, 
and  I  was  locked  in  her  arms,  sobbing  and 
crying,  "  Oh,  mother  !  My  mother  !  At  last ! 
At  last  !" 

She  hugged  me  and  kissed  me,  and  her  eyes, 
too,  were  brimming  with  tears.  "  Thank  God," 
she  said,  "  after  all  these  years  of  suffering  and 
prayer,  I  am  permitted  to  look  upon  my  child's 
face.  They  tore  you  from  my  arms,  my  daugh- 
ter, when  you  were  only  two  days  old ;  and  I 
have  searched  for  you  constantly.  For  ten 
years  I  was  confined  behind  stone  walls,  help- 
less in  mind  and  body ;  but  God  had  pity  on 
me,  and  my  mind  was  restored.  From  that 

343 


Minna. 

day  on,  I  have  searched  the  world  for  you,  my 
darling.  Believe  me,  my  love,  day  and  night, 
your  mother  has  prayed  for  one  thing  only  ; 
that  I  might  see  your  dear  face  before  I  die. 
Can  you  forgive  me,  my  child  ?  Can  you  learn 
to  love  me  ? " 

I  kissed  her  face,  her  head,  her  hands.  I 
pressed  her  tightly  to  my  breast.  "  Oh,  mother ! 
mother  dear  !  "  I  cried.  "  Don't  talk  that  way ! 
A  mother  like  you,  to  own,  to  love,  to  cherish  ? 
Learn  to  love  you  ?  I  learned  that  long  ago.  I 
have  suffered  much  to  see  your  sweet  face. 
Oh,  mother,  mother  !  My  mother  ! " 

Josef,  took  my  mother  by  one  hand  and^me 
by  the  other. 

"  My  dear  friend  Dr.  Leiter,"  he  said.  "  The 
joy  of  this  hour  is  past  conception ;  for  I  have 
here,  by  one  hand,  the  "  Angel  of  the  Ward," 
of  whom  I  wrote  you  this  morning,  and  by  the 
other,  the  wife  of  my  bosom,  whom  God  has 
given  me  to  love.  It  was  a  marvelous  revela- 
tion when  I  met  Count  Karapot  by  accident  at 
the  depot,  where  I  was  about  to  take  the  train 
for  New  York.  He  insisted  on  bringing  me 
back,  and  so  told  me  that  he  is  our  brother,  and 

344 


My  Yeshiva  Bocher. 

I  am  free  to  love  my  wife.  We  have  all  suf- 
fered much  and  have  earned  this  reward. 
Minna,  my  wife,  can  you  love  your  Yeshiva 
Bocher?" 

I  could  only  answer  by  throwing  myself  in 
his  strong,  manly  arms. 

Harry  came  in  with  our  boy. 

"  Here  is  your  son,  Josef.  We  are  here  to- 
night, a  happy  family,  united  after  so  much 
sorrow.  We  are  of  many  faiths  and  different 
births, — Jews  and  Christians,  bound  together 
by  the  ties  of  love. 

"  Won't  Christ  in  Heaven  be  delighted, 
To  see  fulfilled  His  great  wish  ; 
To  see  His  children,  on  earth  united, 
As  He  has  taught  us, — in  love  and  peace  !  " 

THE  END. 


345 


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